Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 4 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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4 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 4 undervalued stocks in the Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production industry for Monday, May 27, 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.

Devon Energy Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Devon Energy Corporation is an oil and gas producer in the United States with a multi-basin portfolio. The Company is primarily engaged in the exploration, development and production of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Its oil and gas properties include Delaware Basin, Eagle Ford, Anadarko Basin, Williston Basin and Powder River Basin. The Delaware Basin operates in southeast New Mexico and across the state line into west Texas. It offers exploration and development opportunities from many geologic reservoirs and play types, including the oil-rich Wolfcamp, Bone Spring, Avalon and Delaware formations. The Eagle Ford operations are located in Texas' DeWitt and Karnes counties. The Anadarko Basin has around four-operated rig program associated with a joint venture. Its position in the Williston is located entirely on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation in North Dakota. The Powder River Basin is focused on emerging oil opportunities in Wyoming's Powder River 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.

Devon Energy Corp has a Value Score of 76, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Devon Energy Corp’s price-to-sales ratio at 2.01 compared to the industry median at 2.35, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Devon Energy Corp’s stock more attractive for value investors.

Devon Energy Corp’s price-earnings ratio is 9.13 compared to the industry median at 11.11. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Devon Energy Corp more attractive for value investors.

Now, let’s assess Devon Energy Corp’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 5.2, when compared to the industry median of 5.4, 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. Devon Energy Corp’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of 2.01%. 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. Devon Energy Corp’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 1.43. This could make Devon Energy Corp less attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Ecopetrol SA (ADR)’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Ecopetrol S.A. is an oil company. The Company operates in Colombia, Peru, Brazil and the United States Gulf Coast. The Company's segments include Exploration and Production, Transportation and Logistics, and Refining, Petrochemicals and Biofuels. The Company's Exploration and Production segment includes exploration, development and production activities in Colombia and abroad. The Company's Transportation and Logistics segment includes the transportation of crude oil, motor fuels, fuel oil and other refined products, including diesel and biofuels. The Company's main crude oil pipeline systems' operating capacity is approximately 1.34 million barrels per day (BPD). The Company's main refineries are the Barrancabermeja refinery, which it directly owns and operates, and a refinery in the Free Trade Zone in Cartagena that is operated by Reficar S.A., a subsidiary of the Company. The Company also owns and operates two other minor refineries: Orito and Apiay.

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.

Ecopetrol SA (ADR) has a Value Score of 96, which is considered to be undervalued.

Ecopetrol SA (ADR)’s price-earnings ratio is 5.4 compared to the industry median at 11.1. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Ecopetrol SA (ADR) more attractive for value investors.

Ecopetrol SA (ADR)’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Ecopetrol SA (ADR) fairly attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.43.

You can read more about Ecopetrol SA (ADR)’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.

GeoPark Ltd’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

GeoPark Ltd is a Colombia-based company operating in the energy sector. As an oil and gas explorer, operator and consolidator the Company has assets and growth platforms in Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and Brazil. Working interests from operation in 42 hydrocarbon blocks comprise of natural gas exploration and production (E&P;) and crude oil production on land as well as offshore across over 700,000 acres. The Del Mosquito block in Argentina's Austral basin, and the Cerro Dona Juana and Loma Cortaderal blocks in the Neuquen basin are wholly owned by GeoPark Holdings Limited, while the Fell block in Chile's Magallanes region is 90% owned by the Company, with the remaining interest in associated infrastructure, production facilities, operating licenses and a technical database are held by state oil firm, Enap.

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.

GeoPark Ltd has a Value Score of 93, which is considered to be undervalued.

GeoPark Ltd’s price-earnings ratio is 4.9 compared to the industry median at 11.1. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes GeoPark Ltd more attractive for value investors.

GeoPark Ltd’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make GeoPark Ltd more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.43.

You can read more about GeoPark 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.

PermRock Royalty Trust’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

PermRock Royalty Trust (the Trust) is a statutory trust. The Trust owns a net profits interest representing the right to receive 80% of the net profits from the sale of oil and natural gas production from certain properties owned by Boaz Energy II, LLC (Boaz Energy) in the Permian Basin of West Texas. The underlying properties consist of about 31,354 gross (22,394 net) acres in the Permian Basin. The Permian Basin extends over 75,000 square miles in West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico. The underlying properties consist of four operating areas. Permian Clearfork area consists of about 2,434 net acres on the Central Basin Platform of the Permian Basin in Hockley and Terry Counties, Texas. Permian Abo area consists of about 1,667 net acres on the Central Basin Platform of the Permian Basin in Terry and Cochran Counties, Texas. Permian Shelf area consists of about 14,390 net acres on the Eastern Shelf of the Permian Basin. Permian Platform area consists of about 3,903 net acres.

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.

PermRock Royalty Trust has a Value Score of 76, which is considered to be undervalued.

PermRock Royalty Trust’s price-earnings ratio is 8.9 compared to the industry median at 11.1. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes PermRock Royalty Trust more attractive for value investors.

PermRock Royalty Trust’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make PermRock Royalty Trust less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.43.

You can read more about PermRock 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.

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 4 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.

• Devon Energy Corp stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Ecopetrol SA (ADR) stock has a Value Grade of A.
• GeoPark Ltd stock has a Value Grade of A.
• PermRock Royalty Trust stock has a Value Grade of B.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 4 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.

• 4 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Monday, May 27
• 4 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Friday, May 24
• Why Mach Natural Resources LP’s (MNR) Stock Is Down 4.27%
• Why Primeenergy Resources Corp’s (PNRG) Stock Is Up 5.03%

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