Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 7 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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7 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 7 undervalued stocks in the Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production industry for Thursday, May 09, 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.

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.

Berry Corporation (Bry)’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Berry Corporation (bry) is an independent upstream energy company. The Company operates through two segments: exploration and production (E&P;) and well servicing and abandonment (CJWS). The E&P; segment consists of the development and production of onshore, low geologic risk, long-lived conventional oil and gas reserves, primarily located in California, as well as Utah. Its California operating area consists of properties located in Midway-Sunset, South Belridge, McKittrick and Poso Creek fields in the San Joaquin basin in Kern County. The Company operates Uinta basin operations in the Brundage Canyon, Ashley Forest, and Lake Canyon areas in Utah. The well servicing and abandonment segment provides wellsite services in California for oil and natural gas production companies, with a focus on well servicing, well abandonment services and water logistics. The Company’s subsidiaries include Berry Petroleum Company, LLC; CJ Berry Well Services Management, LLC; and C&J; Well Services, 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.

Berry Corporation (Bry) has a Value Score of 97, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Berry Corporation (Bry)’s price-to-sales ratio at 0.75 compared to the industry median at 2.22, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Berry Corporation (Bry)’s stock more attractive for value investors.

Now, let’s assess Berry Corporation (Bry)’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 4.2, when compared to the industry median of 4.7, 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. Berry Corporation (Bry)’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of 2.27%. 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. Berry Corporation (Bry)’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.35. This could make Berry Corporation (Bry) more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Berry Corporation (Bry)’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Berry Corporation (Bry)’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 8.13. This could make Berry Corporation (Bry) more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that Berry Corporation (Bry) 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.

Civitas Resources Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Civitas Resources, Inc. is an independent, domestic oil and gas producer focused on development of its assets in the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) and Permian Basins. The Company’s operations are focused along the Denver-Julesburg (DJ), Delaware and Midland Basins. Its development facilities are located in counties across the Front Range of northern and central Colorado, as well as Southeastern New Mexico and West Texas. Its acreage position in the DJ Basin is about 453,600 net acres and, in the Permian Basin, it is about 68,500 net acres. The Company has a total production of about 280,000 barrels of oil equivalent (BOE).

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.

Civitas Resources Inc has a Value Score of 71, which is considered to be undervalued.

Civitas Resources Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 9.4 compared to the industry median at 9.6. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Civitas Resources Inc more attractive for value investors.

Civitas Resources Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Civitas Resources Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.35.

You can read more about Civitas Resources Inc’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.

Diamondback Energy Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Diamondback Energy, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas company focused on the acquisition, development, exploration and exploitation of unconventional, onshore oil and natural gas reserves primarily in the Permian Basin in West Texas. The Company's activities are primarily focused on horizontal development of the Spraberry and Wolfcamp formations of the Midland Basin and the Wolfcamp and Bone Spring formations of the Delaware Basin, both of which are part of the larger Permian Basin in West Texas and New Mexico. Its total acreage position in the Permian Basin includes approximately 607,877 gross (493,769 net) acres, which consists primarily of 428,324 gross (349,707 net) acres in the Midland Basin and 174,828 gross (143,742 net) acres in the Delaware Basin. The Company is also engaged in midstream gathering, compression, water handling, disposal and treatment operations. Its subsidiary Viper Energy, Inc., also owns mineral interests in the Permian Basin.

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.

Diamondback Energy Inc has a Value Score of 69, which is considered to be undervalued.

Diamondback Energy Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 11.5 compared to the industry median at 9.6. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Diamondback Energy Inc less attractive for value investors.

Diamondback Energy Inc’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Diamondback Energy Inc more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.35.

You can read more about Diamondback Energy Inc’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.

Mach Natural Resources LP’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Mach Natural Resources LP is an independent upstream oil and gas company. The Company is focused on acquisition, development and production of oil, natural gas and NGL reserves in the Anadarko Basin region of Western Oklahoma, Southern Kansas, and the panhandle of Texas. The Company’s assets are located throughout Western Oklahoma, Southern Kansas and the panhandle of Texas and consist of approximately 4,600 gross operated PDP wells. Additionally, it owns a portfolio of midstream assets which support its leases, including ownership in four processing plants with combined processing capacity of 353 million cubic feet per day (MMcf/d), along with 1,210 miles of gas gathering pipelines. Additionally, it owns water infrastructure consisting of 880 miles of gathering pipeline and 55 disposal wells. Additionally, the Company owns water infrastructure consisting of 880 miles of gathering pipeline and 55 disposal 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.

Mach Natural Resources LP has a Value Score of 79, which is considered to be undervalued.

Mach Natural Resources LP’s price-earnings ratio is 5.5 compared to the industry median at 9.6. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Mach Natural Resources LP more attractive for value investors.

You can read more about Mach Natural Resources LP’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:

Matador Resources Company is an independent energy company. The Company is engaged in 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. It operates through two segments: exploration and production and midstream. The exploration and production segment are 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 the Company’s 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 78, which is considered to be undervalued.

Matador Resources Co’s price-earnings ratio is 8.8 compared to the industry median at 9.6. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Matador Resources Co more 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 1.35.

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.

Murphy Oil Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Murphy Oil Corporation is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company. The Company is engaged in both onshore and offshore operations and properties. The Company’s geographic segments include the United States, Canada, and all other countries. It produces crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids primarily in the United States and Canada and explores for crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids in targeted areas worldwide. In the United States, it produces crude oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas primarily from fields in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Eagle Ford Shale area of South Texas. It holds rights to approximately 133 thousand gross acres in South Texas in the Eagle Ford Shale unconventional oil and natural gas play. In Canada, it holds working interests in Tupper Montney (100% owned), Kaybob Duvernay (operated) and two non-operated offshore assets: the Hibernia and Terra Nova fields, located offshore Newfoundland in the Jeanne d’Arc Basin.

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.

Murphy Oil Corp has a Value Score of 82, which is considered to be undervalued.

Murphy Oil Corp’s price-earnings ratio is 12.4 compared to the industry median at 9.6. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Murphy Oil Corp less attractive for value investors.

Murphy Oil Corp’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Murphy Oil Corp less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.35.

You can read more about Murphy Oil Corp’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.

Unit Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Unit Corporation is a natural gas contract drilling company. The Company is primarily engaged in the development, acquisition, and production of oil and natural gas properties, the land contract drilling of natural gas and oil wells, and the buying, selling, gathering, processing, and treating of natural gas. The Company operates through three segments: Oil and Natural Gas, Contract Drilling, and Mid-Stream. The Oil and Natural Gas segment explores, develops, acquires, and produces oil and natural gas properties for its own account. The Contract Drilling segment contracts to drill onshore oil and natural gas wells for others and for its own account. The Mid-Stream segment buys, sells, gathers, processes, and treats natural gas for third parties and for its own account. The Company’s producing oil and natural gas properties, unproved properties, and related assets are primarily located in Oklahoma and Texas, in addition to Arkansas, Kansas, and North Dakota to a lesser extent.

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.

Unit Corp has a Value Score of 98, which is considered to be undervalued.

Unit Corp’s price-earnings ratio is 1.5 compared to the industry median at 9.6. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Unit Corp more attractive for value investors.

Unit Corp’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Unit Corp less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.35.

You can read more about Unit Corp’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.

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 7 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.

• Berry Corporation (Bry) stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Civitas Resources Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Diamondback Energy Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Mach Natural Resources LP stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Matador Resources Co stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Murphy Oil Corp stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Unit Corp stock has a Value Grade of A.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 7 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.

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.

• 7 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Thursday, May 09
• 4 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Wednesday, May 08
• What You Need to Know About Highpeak Energy Inc's Q1 Earnings
• Why VAALCO Energy, Inc.’s (EGY) Stock Is Down 4.12%

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