Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. HESM scored 63.3, LNG scored 58.8 — HESM leads.
Compare another set
HESM
Hess Midstream LP
Oil & Gas Midstream · Quality-Growth
63.3
$32.26 · $6.7B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
4.5
HESM leads
LNG
Cheniere Energy, Inc.
Oil & Gas Midstream · Quality-Growth
58.8
$278.18 · $57.5B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestHESM11.1x
Fastest growthLNG+27.2%
Strongest balance sheetLNG2.43
Highest qualityLNG82 / 100
Largest discount to fair valueHESM-68%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
HESM
stronger →← stronger
LNG
78
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
82
50
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
50
65
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
50
HESM and LNG split the three pillars evenly.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
HESM
LNG
$838mC+
FCF
$2.8bB
+8.4%B
Rev
+27.2%A-
9.48D
D/E
2.43D
11.1xB+
P/E
21.0xC+
2.20C
PEG
9.46D
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
HESM
LNG
68% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
6% above
~-19%/yr
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
~12%/yr
+197%
1-yr DCF upside
-19%
+215%
5-yr DCF upside
-5%
+244%
10-yr DCF upside
+19%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
HESM
Why this score
Buying back stock
Raising its dividend
Cyclical growth
LNG
Why this score
Buying back stock
Raising its dividend
Durable high returns
Cyclical growth
The companies
HESMHess Midstream LP
Oil & Gas Midstream · $32.26 · beta 0.56
Why now
Oil & Gas Midstream · market cap $6.7b. Down 22% from 52-week high of $41.44 — deep drawdown territory. 6 sell-side analysts rate this an Underperform with a mean 1-yr target of $37.50 (implying +16% upside).
Moat
Net margin 23% sits well above the S&P median (~11%) — suggests structural pricing advantage or cost discipline competitors can't quickly close. Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income, mostly because of depreciation and amortization ($224m) — non-cash charges that hold down reported earnings while cash generation stays strong.
Risk
D/E 9.48 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Dividend payout 105% of earnings on a 9.1% yield — distribution coverage is thin; one earnings stumble could force a dividend cut. Hedge-book exposure — many commodity producers hedge forward production; if the hedge book is concentrated at prices well below spot, the upside the market expects is already locked away.
LNGCheniere Energy, Inc.
Oil & Gas Midstream · $278.18 · beta 0.06
Why now
Oil & Gas Midstream · market cap $57.5b. 8% off the 52-week high of $300.89. Revenue growing +27% — in hypergrowth territory. 21 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $310.57 (implying +12% upside).
Moat
Net margin 14% beats the market median by a meaningful margin — the company is keeping more of every revenue dollar than the average S&P constituent. ROE 39% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 96% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash.
Risk
D/E 2.43 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Jurisdictional + permitting risk — mining and extraction operations concentrate exposure to political stability, royalty regimes, and environmental review timelines that can stall production for years.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where HESM and LNG diverge
On the headline score the gap is 4.5 points in favor of HESM. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
ValueHESM 64.6 · LNG 49.6HESM +15.0
QualityHESM 78.4 · LNG 81.8LNG +3.4
GrowthHESM 50.0 · LNG 50.0level
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is HESM or LNG the better stock?
HESM scores higher: HESM 63.3, LNG 58.8 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do HESM and LNG differ most?
The widest gap is value, where HESM leads by 15 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. Neither name sweeps: they trade the lead across the three pillars, so the comparison is a trade-off rather than one being better on every measure.
How are HESM and LNG scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.