CAPL's 9.6% Yield Looks Tempting, but Is the Stock a Buy?
Income investors often find a high yield tempting, but the real question is whether the business generates enough cash to support the payout. CrossAmerica Partners LP CAPL makes that question especially relevant. The partnership distributes motor fuels, operates convenience stores and owns or leases fuel-related real estate. It distributes fuel to roughly 1,500 locations and owns or leases about 900 sites across 34 states. CAPL units have gained 6.5% year to date, yet the annualized distribution of $2.10 per unit still translates into an attractive 9.6% yield. The payout is appealing, but investors also need to look at cash flow, operating trends and the outlook behind that yield.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CAPL's Distribution Looks Better Supported
CrossAmerica recently maintained its quarterly distribution at 52.5 cents per unit, keeping the annualized payout at $2.10. More important than the headline yield is the cash available to fund that distribution. In the second quarter of 2026, CAPL generated distributable cash flow of $33.6 million, up from $22.4 million a year earlier. Distribution coverage improved to 1.68 times from 1.12 times, while the trailing-12-month coverage reached 1.39 times.
Image Source: CrossAmerica Partners LP
That provides a useful cushion around the payout. Adjusted EBITDA also increased 40% year over year to $51.8 million, helped by higher fuel margins, improved merchandise gross profit and lower operating expenses. For investors comparing fuel and convenience-store names, Murphy USA MUSA and Casey's General Stores CASY offer useful context. Murphy USA is expanding its store network and investing in loyalty, while Casey's General Stores is leaning on prepared food, fuel and store growth. CAPL follows a different structure, with wholesale fuel and real estate adding other sources of cash flow.
Earnings and Sales Estimates Point Higher
The outlook also supports the investment case. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CrossAmerica Partners’ 2026 earnings is pegged at $1.33 per unit, implying 30.4% growth from 2025. The consensus estimate for 2026 sales stands at $4.1 billion, suggesting a 10.5% increase. Those estimates matter because a high distribution is easier to justify when earnings and revenues are expected to move higher rather than stagnate.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
CAPL is also working on areas it can control. Management remains focused on retail fuel pricing, better convenience-store offerings, efficient wholesale fuel supply and preparing its portfolio for longer-term performance. Murphy USA is likewise pursuing organic store expansion, while Casey's General Stores is targeting growth through its convenience-store and food model. For CAPL, improving returns from its existing network may prove more valuable than simply adding locations.
Better Margins and Cost Control Add Support
CrossAmerica Partners’ retail segment is showing progress beyond fuel sales. Merchandise gross margin reached 29.5% in the second quarter, up 130 basis points year over year, helped by a better sales mix and execution in food, beverages and tobacco categories. Merchandise gross profit increased despite a lower average company-operated site count. Meanwhile, total operating expenses declined for the seventh consecutive quarter, with both retail and wholesale expenses moving lower.
MUSA and CASY are also investing in ways to bring more customers into their stores and increase spending. Murphy USA is expanding its loyalty program and opening larger stores, while Casey's General Stores continues to build its prepared-food business alongside fuel sales. CAPL is following its own path by putting more growth capital into company-operated stores, especially food-related projects that can help improve merchandise sales and profit margins.
Still, CrossAmerica Partners’ 9.6% yield comes with some risks. Higher fuel prices weighed on demand in the second quarter, leading to lower retail and wholesale fuel volumes. Fuel margins can also fall when market conditions become less volatile. Murphy USA and Casey's General Stores face similar pressure from changes in fuel demand, while CAPL investors also need to watch whether cash flow remains sufficient to cover its distributions.
Conclusion
CAPL's high yield comes with operating risks, but recent cash-flow coverage, lower expenses and improving merchandise economics give the payout a firmer base. Rising 2026 earnings and sales estimates add another positive element, while management continues to invest selectively in its store network and manage the balance sheet. For investors seeking high income from the fuel and convenience-store space, CrossAmerica Partners offers a combination of a sizable distribution and improving operating trends. CAPL stock currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"
Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.
Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners, but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like D-Wave Quantum, which shot up +680.1%.
Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpCrossAmerica Partners LP (CAPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Murphy USA Inc. (MUSA) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Casey's General Stores, Inc. (CASY) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
