New York, Feb 13, 2026, 18:33 EST — After-hours
- Enterprise Products Partners units rose about 5% on Friday and held near $37 after the close.
- A cooler U.S. inflation reading pushed Treasury yields down and revived rate-cut bets.
- U.S. markets are shut Monday for Presidents Day, reopening Tuesday.
Units of Enterprise Products Partners L.P. rose 5% to $37.21 on Friday and were little changed after the bell. The session ranged from $35.34 to $37.29, with about 9.3 million units traded; Kinder Morgan added about 2% and Williams Cos rose about 1.6%.
The move came as rate-sensitive corners of the market caught a bid after inflation data, even as big tech kept a lid on the tape. The S&P 500 ended up 0.05% while the Nasdaq fell 0.22%, and traders nudged up the implied odds of a quarter-point June rate cut to 52.3% on the CME FedWatch tool, Reuters reported. “Large cap tech stocks continue to be an anchor on the market,” said Michael James, managing director at Rosenblatt Securities. (Reuters)
Earlier, the Labor Department said the consumer price index rose 0.2% in January and 2.4% year-on-year, while core CPI (excluding food and energy) increased 0.3% on the month and 2.5% from a year earlier. James McCann, senior economist at Edward Jones, said “price pressures remain a little too hot for comfort,” even as investors pushed up bets that the Federal Reserve could cut rates by mid-year. (Reuters)
Enterprise, a master limited partnership that pays cash distributions, is sending unitholders a $0.55-per-unit quarterly payout for the fourth quarter, or $2.20 annualized, with payment due Friday, Feb. 13, the company said. It also repurchased about $50 million of its common units in the quarter and has used about 29% of a $5 billion buyback authorization; Enterprise said its system includes more than 50,000 miles of pipelines and large storage and terminal assets across crude, natural gas and NGLs. (Stock Titan)
Crude offered a mild tailwind into the weekend. Brent settled up 0.3% at $67.75 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate ended up 0.08% at $62.89, after inflation data fed hopes of lower rates, Reuters reported. “Looks like inflation is stabilizing,” said Dennis Kissler, senior vice president of trading at BOK Financial, while warning that more supply could weigh if OPEC+ resumes output increases from April. (Reuters)
For midstream names, the rate story can matter as much as commodity headlines. Their payouts compete with bond coupons, and falling Treasury yields can make a steady distribution look a bit less ordinary.
Enterprise’s cash flow is tied mainly to moving and storing fuels and petrochemicals — businesses that tend to lean on fees and long-term contracts. That does not mean the units trade like a bond, but it keeps the focus on coverage, funding costs and the next capital return decision.
Still, the trade can unwind quickly. If inflation proves sticky and the Fed stays on hold into the summer, yields could rebound and pressure income-heavy sectors; a softer oil market would not help sentiment for energy infrastructure.
Investors now head into a long weekend, with U.S. markets closed on Monday for Washington’s Birthday (Presidents Day) and reopening on Tuesday. For EPD, traders will be watching whether the bid holds when rates and crude reset after the holiday break. (Nyse)
