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 Monday, June 10, 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.

Baytex Energy Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Baytex Energy Corp. is a Canada-based energy company. The Company is engaged in the acquisition, development and production of crude oil and natural gas in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and in the Eagle Ford in the United States. Its crude oil and natural gas operations are organized into three main operating areas: Light Oil USA (Eagle Ford), Light Oil Canada (Pembina Duvernay / Viking) and Heavy Oil Canada (Peace River / Peavine / Lloydminster). Its Eagle Ford assets are located in the core of the liquids-rich Eagle Ford shale in South Texas. The Eagle Ford shale covers approximately 162,000 net acres of crude oil operations. Its Viking assets are located in the Dodsland area in southwest Saskatchewan and in the Esther area of southeastern Alberta. It also holds 100% working interest land position in the East Duvernay resource play in central Alberta.

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.

Baytex Energy Corp has a Value Score of 83, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Baytex Energy Corp’s price-to-sales ratio at 0.90 compared to the industry median at 2.33, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Baytex Energy Corp’s stock more attractive for value investors.

Now, let’s assess Baytex Energy Corp’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 2.8, 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. Baytex Energy Corp’s shareholder yield is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.65%. 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. Baytex Energy Corp’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.43. This could make Baytex Energy Corp more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Baytex Energy Corp’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Baytex Energy Corp’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 8.61. This could make Baytex Energy Corp more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that Baytex Energy 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.

Coterra Energy Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Coterra Energy Inc. is an independent oil and gas company. The Company is engaged in the development, exploration and production of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Its operations are primarily concentrated in three core operating areas: the Permian Basin in west Texas and southeast New Mexico, the Marcellus Shale in northeast Pennsylvania and the Anadarko Basin in the Mid-Continent region in Oklahoma. Its Permian Basin properties hold approximately 296,000 net acres in its core operating area in the Delaware Basin. Its Marcellus Shale properties hold approximately 186,000 net acres in the dry gas window of the Marcellus Shale. The Anadarko Basin properties hold approximately 182,000 net acres and its development activities are primarily focused on both the Woodford Shale and the Meramec formations. It sells oil, natural gas and NGLs to industrial customers, local distribution companies, oil and gas marketers, pipeline companies and power generation facilities.

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.

Coterra Energy Inc has a Value Score of 67, which is considered to be undervalued.

Coterra Energy Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 16.1 compared to the industry median at 11.6. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Coterra Energy Inc less attractive for value investors.

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

You can read more about Coterra 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.

Eca Marcellus Trust I’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

ECA Marcellus Trust I (the Trust) is a statutory trust. The Trust does not conduct any operations or activities. The Trust's purpose is to hold the Royalty Interests, to distribute to the Trust unitholders cash that the Trust receives in respect of the Royalty Interests after the payment of Trust expenses, and to perform certain administrative functions in respect of the Royalty Interests and the Trust units. The Trust owned royalty interests in the 14 Producing Wells and royalty interests in 52 horizontal natural gas development wells to be drilled to the Marcellus Shale formation within the area of mutual interest (AMI), in which Legacy ECA holds approximately 9,300 acres, of which it owned all the working interests, in Greene County, Pennsylvania. The Trust also holds royalty interests in over 40 development wells that are in production. Its subsidiary, Greylock Production, LLC, which operates subject wells. The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A. serves as Trustee.

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.

Eca Marcellus Trust I has a Value Score of 88, which is considered to be undervalued.

Eca Marcellus Trust I’s price-earnings ratio is 9.5 compared to the industry median at 11.6. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Eca Marcellus Trust I more attractive for value investors.

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

You can read more about Eca Marcellus Trust I’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 87, which is considered to be undervalued.

Murphy Oil Corp’s price-earnings ratio is 11.0 compared to the industry median at 11.6. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Murphy Oil Corp more 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 1.43.

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.

Mexco Energy Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Mexco Energy Corporation, through its subsidiaries, are engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development and production of crude oil, natural gas, condensate and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The Company owns producing properties and undeveloped acreage in approximately 14 states. It acquires interests in producing and non-producing oil and gas leases from landowners and leaseholders in areas considered favorable for oil and gas exploration, development, and production. There are two primary areas in which the Company is focused, namely the Delaware Basin located in the Western portion of the Permian Basin including Lea and Eddy Counties, New Mexico and Reeves and Loving Counties, Texas and the Midland Basin located in the Eastern portion of the Permian Basin, including Reagan, Upton, Midland, Martin, Howard and Glasscock Counties, Texas. The Company's subsidiaries include Forman Energy Corporation, Southwest Texas Disposal Corporation, and TBO Oil & Gas, 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.

Mexco Energy Corp has a Value Score of 77, which is considered to be undervalued.

Mexco Energy Corp’s price-earnings ratio is 12.3 compared to the industry median at 11.6. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Mexco Energy Corp less attractive for value investors.

Mexco Energy Corp’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Mexco Energy Corp fairly attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.43.

You can read more about Mexco Energy 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.

Obsidian Energy Ltd’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

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 97, which is considered to be undervalued.

Obsidian Energy Ltd’s price-earnings ratio is 9.0 compared to the industry median at 11.6. 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 1.43.

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.

US Energy Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

U.S. Energy Corp. is an independent energy company. The Company is focused on the acquisition and development of oil and gas producing properties primarily in the United States. The Company’s principal properties and operations are in the Rockies region (Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota), the Mid-Continent region (Oklahoma, Kansas, and North and East Texas), and the West Texas, South Texas, and Gulf Coast regions.

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.

US Energy Corp has a Value Score of 86, which is considered to be undervalued.

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

You can read more about US Energy 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.

• Baytex Energy Corp stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Coterra Energy Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Eca Marcellus Trust I stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Murphy Oil Corp stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Mexco Energy Corp stock has a Value Grade of B.
• Obsidian Energy Ltd stock has a Value Grade of A.
• US Energy 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 Monday, June 10
• 5 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Friday, June 07
• 4 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Thursday, June 06
• 5 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Wednesday, June 05

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