The Motley Fool analysis favors MPLX over Energy Transfer for dividend safety, citing its longer record of annual increases and lower debt. MPLX yields 7.39% versus Energy Transfer’s 6.56%, but its distribution coverage is lower: 1.3x versus about 1.8x.
MPLX has raised its dividend every year since going public in 2012; Energy Transfer cut its dividend by 50% in 2020. MPLX said in its second-quarter report that it expects dividend increases of 12.5% in both 2026 and 2027.
MPLX is sponsored by Marathon Petroleum, and most of its logistics and storage revenue comes from long-term, fee-based commitments with the company. The article says those commitments support steady demand despite broader commodity-price shifts.
