Is USAC Worth Buying for Growth Despite Margin and Leverage Risks?

USA Compression Partners, LP USAC offers unusually clear visibility into future fleet growth. Roughly half of planned 2027 new units are already contracted, while a mid-teens percentage of planned 2028 units is committed.

That visibility supports the growth case, but margins, leverage and valuation leave little room for execution misses. The question is whether contracted demand can translate into enough earnings and cash-flow improvement to justify taking that risk now.

USAC Growth Visibility Supports the Bull Case

USAC expects approximately 2.5% average annual new-horsepower growth through 2029, with plans to add more than 500,000 horsepower by 2030. Long equipment lead times are pushing customers to plan further ahead, helping the partnership secure commitments years before delivery.

The J-W acquisition also added manufacturing capacity and a broader customer base. Management believes internal packaging capability provides flexibility in an extended lead-time environment and can reduce capital exposure in later years if market conditions change.

USA Compression's Margins Temper the Upside

Adjusted gross margin fell to 63.5% in the second quarter from 65.4% a year earlier. J-W's manufacturing and aftermarket services carry lower historical margins than contract compression, creating a less favorable mix for the combined business.

USAC also expects about $1 million per month of incremental lube oil costs in the second half of 2026. Existing contracts do not provide a direct lube-oil pass-through, so the company must address higher costs as contracts expire and renew, although CPI escalators provide some inflation protection.

USAC's Balance Sheet Leaves Limited Room

USAC ended the second quarter with a leverage ratio of 3.72x, just below its 3.75x near-term target. It had $1.21 billion drawn on its revolving credit facility, while cash interest expense was $47.4 million during the quarter.

Image Source: USA Compression Partners

Capital needs remain substantial. Full-year expansion capital spending is projected at $230-$250 million, and management is prioritizing excess cash flow toward new-horsepower growth. Weaker operating results, additional acquisitions or faster capital deployment could therefore reduce financial flexibility.

USAC Valuation Demands Execution

USAC trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise value-to-EBITDA ratio of 9.96, compared with 8.26 for the Zacks subindustry. That premium increases the importance of delivering utilization gains, integration benefits and profitable growth from the contracted pipeline.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

For sector context, Kodiak Gas Services KGS is another large-horsepower contract compression operator in the United States. Natural Gas Services Group NGS provides natural gas compression equipment, technology and services, giving investors additional compression-focused businesses to consider when comparing industry exposure.

USAC's Ratings Favor Patience

USAC's growth runway is visible, but current margin pressure, leverage and a premium valuation argue for patience while the J-W integration develops. The distribution remains well covered, with second-quarter distributable cash flow coverage of 1.65x, yet management is directing excess cash toward fleet expansion rather than near-term distribution growth.

The stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). It has a Growth Score of B and VGM Score of B, but a Value Score of C and Momentum Score of C. The favorable growth-oriented scores do not override the weaker Zacks Rank, which places greater weight on earnings estimate revisions and suggests investors may want to wait for a better entry setup rather than buy solely on the long-term growth case.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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