Fund flows will always beat fundamentals. This was rarely more evident than in the performance of MLPs last year. Throughout 2018, earnings reports from pipeline companies were generally in-line, with positive guidance. Operating results contrasted with stock prices, which confounded investors and management teams as they sagged. Negative sentiment worsened late in the year, not helped by broader market weakness caused by trade friction, Fed communication mis-steps and the Federal government shutdown.
JPMorgan calculates that there is $38BN invested in open-ended MLP and energy infrastructure products, across ETFs, mutual funds and exchange traded notes. In