6 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Wednesday, March 06

By Jenna Brashear
March 06, 2024
Diamond graphic indicating best value stocks in their industry
Featured Tickers:
BATL EPSN MTDR OBE PRMRF PVL

Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 6 stocks made the list for top value stocks in the Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production industry. Those looking for value stocks to add to their portfolio may want to use this list as a starting point for further investment research.

Why Focus on Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks?

Value investors seek to buy stocks at a discount to their intrinsic value. Long-term returns show that such strategies are advantageous. Value stocks, as a group, tend to outperform growth stocks over extended periods of time. Typically, value investors perform financial analysis of numerous metrics, don’t follow the herd and are long-term investors.

AAII’s A+ Investor Value Grade is derived from a stock’s Value Score. The Value Score is the percentile rank of the average of the percentile ranks of the price-to-sales ratio, price-earnings ratio, enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio, shareholder yield, price-to-book-value ratio and price-to-free-cash-flow ratio. The score is variable, meaning it can consider all six ratios or, should any of the six ratios not be valid, the remaining ratios that are valid. To be assigned a Value Score, stocks must have a valid (non-null) ratio and corresponding ranking for at least two of the six valuation ratios.

What Goes Into AAII’s Value Grade?

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data as well as the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movement. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors with that task.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A–F grades for more than just value. It is possible for a stock to appear cheap based on one valuation metric but appear expensive on another. It is also possible for one valuation ratio to be associated with outperforming stocks during certain periods of time but not others. Some stocks may even have null values for certain metrics like the price-earnings ratio or the price-to-book ratio but not others. An example of this would be a company with losses instead of profits or a negative book value because of heavy borrowing. Negative earnings or book value result in non-meaningful ratios that are left blank or null.

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6 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks

Of course, there are countless value stocks that are worth mentioning, but this is a concise list of the top 6 undervalued stocks in the Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production industry for Wednesday, March 06, 2024. Let’s take a closer look at their individual scores to see how they measure up against each other and the Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production industry median.

Company Ticker Price/Sales Price/Earnings EV/EBITDA Shareholder Yield Price/Book Value Price/Free Cash Flow Value Grade
Battalion Oil Corp BATL 0.39 na 2.2 (0.7%) 2.41 10.1 B
Epsilon Energy Ltd EPSN 2.96 8.4 4.9 8.9% 1.11 6.6 A
Matador Resources Co MTDR 2.67 8.9 4.8 0.5% 1.92 4.2 B
Obsidian Energy Ltd OBE 1.16 7.5 3.2 2.8% 0.46 5.9 A
Paramount Resources Ltd PRMRF 2.28 7.5 6.8 3.4% 1.29 8.7 B
Permianville Royalty Trust PVL 2.95 3.3 6.0 10.7% 0.80 na A

The Value Grade is assigned based on how each stock’s composite valuation compares to all other stocks.

The process for assigning grades starts with each variable for a given stock. The percentile rankings for all valid ratios that a stock has are calculated. So, for instance, a stock could have a price-to-book ranking in the 43rd percentile, a price-earnings ranking in the 67th percentile, a price-to-sales ranking in the 23rd percentile, etc. Then, those rankings are averaged for each stock. (A minimum of two valid variables are required, though all six will be used if available.)

Once the average of the individual variables is calculated, that average is ranked against all stocks. Put another way, each stock’s composite valuation is compared to all other stocks. These ranks are then sorted into quintiles from the cheapest 20% (a grade of A) to the most expensive 20% (a grade of F).

As always, we recommend that you conduct proper due diligence and research before investing in any security. We also suggest that investors utilize numerous grades, not just value, when it comes to deciding whether a company is a good fit for their allocation needs.

Battalion Oil Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score BATL Industry Median
Price/Sales 16 0.39 2.10
Price/Earnings na na 7.7
EV/EBITDA 6 2.2 4.6
Shareholder Yield 56 (0.7%) 2.4%
Price/Book Value 63 2.41 1.26
Price/Free Cash Flow 30 10.1 8.5

Battalion Oil Corporation is an independent energy company. The Company is engaged in the acquisition, production, exploration and development of onshore oil and natural gas properties in the United States. The Company?s principal properties consist of leasehold interests in developed and undeveloped oil and natural gas properties and the reserves associated with these properties. The Company owns interests in developed and undeveloped oil and natural gas acreage in Texas locations. The Company?s working interests in approximately 40,375 net acres in the Delaware Basin in Pecos, Reeves, Ward and Winkler Counties, Texas. The Company has approximately 103 operated wells producing in this area in addition to minor working interests in 13 non-operated wells.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Battalion Oil Corp has a Value Score of 75, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Battalion Oil Corp’s price-to-sales ratio at 0.39 compared to the industry median at 2.10, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Battalion Oil Corp’s stock more attractive for value investors.

Now, let’s assess Battalion Oil Corp’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 2.2, when compared to the industry median of 4.6, the company may be considered undervalued in relation to its peers. Value investors could use the enterprise multiple to identify stocks that are considered overvalued or undervalued relative to their industry.

Shareholder yield is the sum of a stock’s dividend yield (paid over previous 12 months minus special dividends) and the percentage of net share buybacks over the previous 12 months. Battalion Oil Corp’s shareholder yield is lower than its industry median ratio of 2.44%. Value investors may look for an attractive shareholder yield because it can be a powerful tool for identifying if the company has a good management team.

As one of the most common value metrics, the price-to-book ratio evaluates a company’s current market price relative to its book value. Battalion Oil Corp’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 1.26. This could make Battalion Oil Corp less attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Battalion Oil Corp’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Battalion Oil Corp’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 8.52. This could make Battalion Oil Corp less attractive because the higher P/FCF ratio indicates that Battalion Oil Corp is undervalued. The P/FCF ratio metric can also be viewed over a long-term time frame to see if the company's cash flow to share price value is generally improving or worsening.

Epsilon Energy Ltd’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score EPSN Industry Median
Price/Sales 69 2.96 2.10
Price/Earnings 18 8.4 7.7
EV/EBITDA 17 4.9 4.6
Shareholder Yield 9 8.9% 2.4%
Price/Book Value 34 1.11 1.26
Price/Free Cash Flow 17 6.6 8.5

Epsilon Energy Ltd. is an onshore focused independent exploration and production company. The Company is engaged in the acquisition, development, gathering and production of oil and gas reserves. Its primary areas of operation are the Marcellus basin in Northeast Pennsylvania and the Central Basin Platform in the Permian basin. It owns an interest in 13,300 gross acres (5,100 net acres) within the gas in place window of the Marcellus Shale in Northeast Pennsylvania. It owns approximately 7,200 net acres within the NW STACK Trend of the Anadarko Basin in northwest Oklahoma. The Company owns an interest in three producing wells and 12,400 gross acres (3,100 net acres), targeting the oil-rich Barnett Shale, and 25% interest in three producing wells and 3,246 gross undeveloped acres (Pradera Fuego Project). The Company's subsidiaries include Epsilon Energy USA Inc., Epsilon Midstream, LLC, Epsilon Operating, LLC, Dewey Energy GP LLC, Dewey Energy Holdings, LLC, and Altolisa Holdings, LLC.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Epsilon Energy Ltd has a Value Score of 88, which is considered to be undervalued.

Epsilon Energy Ltd’s price-earnings ratio is 8.4 compared to the industry median at 7.7. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Epsilon Energy Ltd less attractive for value investors.

Epsilon Energy Ltd’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Epsilon Energy Ltd less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.26.

You can read more about Epsilon Energy Ltd’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

Matador Resources Co’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score MTDR Industry Median
Price/Sales 66 2.67 2.10
Price/Earnings 20 8.9 7.7
EV/EBITDA 16 4.8 4.6
Shareholder Yield 40 0.5% 2.4%
Price/Book Value 55 1.92 1.26
Price/Free Cash Flow 9 4.2 8.5

Matador Resources Company is an independent energy company. The Company is engaged in the exploration, development, production and acquisition of oil and natural gas resources in the United States, with an emphasis on oil and natural gas shale and other unconventional plays. The Company operates through two business segments: exploration and production and midstream. The exploration and production segment is engaged in the exploration, development, production and acquisition of oil and natural gas resources in the United States and is focused primarily on the oil and liquids-rich portion of the Wolfcamp and Bone Spring plays in the Delaware Basin in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. The midstream segment conducts midstream operations in support of its exploration, development and production operations and provides natural gas processing, oil transportation services, oil, natural gas and produced water gathering services and produced water disposal services to third parties.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Matador Resources Co has a Value Score of 75, which is considered to be undervalued.

Matador Resources Co’s price-earnings ratio is 8.9 compared to the industry median at 7.7. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Matador Resources Co less attractive for value investors.

Matador Resources Co’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Matador Resources Co more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.26.

You can read more about Matador Resources Co’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

Obsidian Energy Ltd’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score OBE Industry Median
Price/Sales 38 1.16 2.10
Price/Earnings 15 7.5 7.7
EV/EBITDA 9 3.2 4.6
Shareholder Yield 28 2.8% 2.4%
Price/Book Value 10 0.46 1.26
Price/Free Cash Flow 15 5.9 8.5

Obsidian Energy Ltd. is a Canada-based exploration and production company. The Company operates in one segment, to explore for, develop and hold interests in oil and natural gas properties and related production infrastructure in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin directly and through investments in securities of subsidiaries holding such interests. It has a portfolio of assets producing around 32,000 barrels of oil equivalent (boe) per day. Its operating areas include Cardium, Peace River and Viking areas of Alberta. Its Cardium asset is a fully delineated and de-risked asset. It is focused on manufacturing repeatable low-decline and high-netback light-oil wells across its Cardium land base. The Viking is a light oil, horizontal development play located in central Alberta. Its operations are focused in the Esther area. Peace River is a stable, cold-flow, base production asset. It operates on a contiguous and an acreage within the heart of the Peace River Oilsands region.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Obsidian Energy Ltd has a Value Score of 96, which is considered to be undervalued.

Obsidian Energy Ltd’s price-earnings ratio is 7.5 compared to the industry median at 7.7. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Obsidian Energy Ltd more attractive for value investors.

Obsidian Energy Ltd’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Obsidian Energy Ltd less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.26.

You can read more about Obsidian Energy Ltd’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

Paramount Resources Ltd’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score PRMRF Industry Median
Price/Sales 61 2.28 2.10
Price/Earnings 14 7.5 7.7
EV/EBITDA 30 6.8 4.6
Shareholder Yield 25 3.4% 2.4%
Price/Book Value 40 1.29 1.26
Price/Free Cash Flow 25 8.7 8.5

Paramount Resources Ltd. is a Canada-based energy company. The Company explores and develops both conventional and unconventional petroleum and natural gas. It also pursues longer-term strategic exploration and pre-development plays and holds a portfolio of investments in other entities. Its principal properties are located in Alberta and British Columbia. The Company's operations are organized into three regions: the Grande Prairie Region, located in the Peace River Arch area of Alberta, which is focused on Montney developments at Karr and Wapiti; the Kaybob Region, located in west-central Alberta, which includes the Kaybob North Duvernay development, the Kaybob North Montney oil development and other shale gas and conventional natural gas producing properties, and the Central Alberta and Other Region, which includes the Willesden Green Duvernay development in central Alberta and shale gas producing properties in the Horn River Basin in northeast British Columbia.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Paramount Resources Ltd has a Value Score of 79, which is considered to be undervalued.

Paramount Resources Ltd’s price-earnings ratio is 7.5 compared to the industry median at 7.7. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Paramount Resources Ltd more attractive for value investors.

Paramount Resources Ltd’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Paramount Resources Ltd fairly attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.26.

You can read more about Paramount Resources Ltd’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

Permianville Royalty Trust’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Metric Score PVL Industry Median
Price/Sales 69 2.95 2.10
Price/Earnings 4 3.3 7.7
EV/EBITDA 24 6.0 4.6
Shareholder Yield 7 10.7% 2.4%
Price/Book Value 21 0.80 1.26
Price/Free Cash Flow na na 8.5

Permianville Royalty Trust (the Trust) is a statutory trust formed by Enduro Resource Partners LLC (Enduro), as trustor, The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. (the Trustee), as trustee, and Wilmington Trust Company (the Delaware Trustee), as Delaware Trustee. The Trust is created to acquire and hold for the benefit of the Trust unitholders a net profits interest representing the right to receive approximately 80% of the net profits from the sale of oil and natural gas production from certain properties in the states of Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico held by Enduro. The properties in which the Trust holds the Net Profits Interest are referred to as the Underlying Properties. The Company’s Underlying Properties consist of producing and non-producing interests in oil and natural gas units, wells and lands in Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico.

Stocks with a Value Score from 81 to 100 are considered deep value, those with a score between 61 and 80 are value and so on.

Permianville Royalty Trust has a Value Score of 91, which is considered to be undervalued.

Permianville Royalty Trust’s price-earnings ratio is 3.3 compared to the industry median at 7.7. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Permianville Royalty Trust more attractive for value investors.

Permianville Royalty Trust’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Permianville Royalty Trust less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.26.

You can read more about Permianville Royalty Trust’s key financial metrics like shareholder yield, price-to-free-cash-flow and EV/EBITDA ratio, or learn more about its Momentum and Growth Grades, by subscribing to A+ Investor.

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Other Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stock Grades

Value is just one of the five Stock Grades included in our A+ Investor service. AAII members can see the top-graded stocks—those with grades of A or B for value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality—on the A+ Stock Grades Screener.

Also, if you want full access to all of AAII’s premium services, you can subscribe to one convenient bundled plan called AAII Platinum where you can try out A+ Investor, AAII Dividend Investing, the Stock Superstars Report, Growth Investing and VMQ Stocks. With the other premium services, you can dive deep into additional metrics, portfolios, commentary and information about Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production stocks as well as other industrys.

Choosing Which of the 6 Best Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks Is Right for You

Choosing which value stocks to invest in will ultimately depend on your individual goals and allocation; however, comparing similar value stocks in the same industry can help you analyze which might be better investments for you in the long run. So, let’s take a look at the Value Grade for all of our stocks.

  • Battalion Oil Corp stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • Epsilon Energy Ltd stock has a Value Grade of A.
  • Matador Resources Co stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • Obsidian Energy Ltd stock has a Value Grade of A.
  • Paramount Resources Ltd stock has a Value Grade of B.
  • Permianville Royalty Trust stock has a Value Grade of A.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 6 undervalued stocks in the Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production industry as well as their overall grades, it’s time for you to conduct additional research to see if these could fit your portfolio needs based on your goals and risk tolerance. AAII can help you figure out both and identify which investments align with what works best for you.

We do so through a program of education that teaches you to invest for yourself and become an effective manager of your own wealth—no more relying on others for your financial independence. You can rely on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis that makes you a better investor.

A+ Investor adds to that qualitative teaching by giving you a powerful data suite that helps you whittle down investment decisions to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

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Additional Resources About Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks

Want to learn more about Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production stocks to see if they could be the right investment for you? Check out some additional resources and articles to help you on your financial journey.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.



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