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, June 17, 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 |
| Eca Marcellus Trust I | ECTM | 3.75 | 8.9 | 4.6 | 11.4% | 0.63 | na | A |
| Diamondback Energy Inc | FANG | 3.81 | 10.5 | 6.5 | 6.9% | 1.96 | 7.8 | B |
| Gran Tierra Energy Inc | GTE | na | na | na | 7.7% | 0.57 | 6.3 | A |
| TXO Partners LP | TXO | 2.18 | na | 8.5 | 5.7% | 1.36 | 18.2 | B |
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.
Eca Marcellus Trust I’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | ECTM | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 75 | 3.75 | 2.27 |
| Price/Earnings | 19 | 8.9 | 11.3 |
| EV/EBITDA | 13 | 4.6 | 5.4 |
| Shareholder Yield | 6 | 11.4% | 1.7% |
| Price/Book Value | 14 | 0.63 | 1.42 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | na | na | 8.3 |
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 90, which is considered to be undervalued.
When you look at Eca Marcellus Trust I’s price-to-sales ratio at 3.75 compared to the industry median at 2.27, this company has a higher price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Eca Marcellus Trust I’s stock less attractive for value investors.
Eca Marcellus Trust I’s price-earnings ratio is 8.87 compared to the industry median at 11.31. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Eca Marcellus Trust I more attractive for value investors.
Now, let’s assess Eca Marcellus Trust I’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 4.6, 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. Eca Marcellus Trust I’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of 1.72%. 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. Eca Marcellus Trust I’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.42. This could make Eca Marcellus Trust I more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.
Diamondback Energy Inc’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | FANG | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 75 | 3.81 | 2.27 |
| Price/Earnings | 27 | 10.5 | 11.3 |
| EV/EBITDA | 24 | 6.5 | 5.4 |
| Shareholder Yield | 12 | 6.9% | 1.7% |
| Price/Book Value | 56 | 1.96 | 1.42 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 20 | 7.8 | 8.3 |
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 72, which is considered to be undervalued.
Diamondback Energy Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 10.5 compared to the industry median at 11.3. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Diamondback Energy Inc more 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 1.42.
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.
Gran Tierra Energy Inc’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | GTE | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | na | na | 2.27 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 11.3 |
| EV/EBITDA | na | na | 5.4 |
| Shareholder Yield | 10 | 7.7% | 1.7% |
| Price/Book Value | 12 | 0.57 | 1.42 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 14 | 6.3 | 8.3 |
Gran Tierra Energy Inc. is an independent international energy company. The Company is focused on international oil and natural gas exploration and production with assets in Colombia and Ecuador. The Company has interests in approximately 22 blocks in Colombia, three blocks in Ecuador, and is the operator of 24 of these blocks. Its assets in Colombia represent approximately 99% of its production with oil reserves and production mainly located in the Middle Magdalena Valley (MMV) and Putumayo Basin. In MMV, the Company’s field is the Acordionero field, where it produces approximately 17-degree American Petroleum Institute (API) oil, which represents 52% of total company production. The Putumayo production is approximately 27-degree API for Chaza Block and 18-degree API for Suoriente Block, representing 25% and 14% respectively, of total company production.
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.
Gran Tierra Energy Inc has a Value Score of 99, which is considered to be undervalued.
Gran Tierra Energy Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Gran Tierra Energy Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.42.
You can read more about Gran Tierra 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.
TXO Partners LP’s Value Grade
Value Grade:
| Metric | Score | TXO | Industry Median |
| Price/Sales | 60 | 2.18 | 2.27 |
| Price/Earnings | na | na | 11.3 |
| EV/EBITDA | 37 | 8.5 | 5.4 |
| Shareholder Yield | 16 | 5.7% | 1.7% |
| Price/Book Value | 42 | 1.36 | 1.42 |
| Price/Free Cash Flow | 51 | 18.2 | 8.3 |
TXO Partners, L.P. is a master limited partnership focused on the acquisition, development, optimization and exploitation of conventional oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquid (NGL) reserves in North America. The Company’s acreage positions are concentrated in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico and the San Juan Basin of New Mexico and Colorado. Its assets consist of approximately 845,820 gross (371,796 net) leasehold and mineral acres located primarily in the Permian Basin and San Juan Basin. Its assets include a 50% interest in Cross Timbers Energy, LLC (Cross Timbers). As operator, it designs and manages the development, recompletion or workover for all of the wells it operates and supervises operation and maintenance activities on a day-to-day basis. It markets the majority of the natural gas, NGL, crude oil and condensate production from the properties on which it operates. It also markets products produced by third party working interest owners.
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.
TXO Partners LP has a Value Score of 63, which is considered to be undervalued.
TXO Partners LP’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make TXO Partners LP fairly attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.42.
You can read more about TXO Partners 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.
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.
- Eca Marcellus Trust I stock has a Value Grade of A.
- Diamondback Energy Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
- Gran Tierra Energy Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
- TXO Partners LP 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, June 17
- 7 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Friday, June 14
- Why Granite Ridge Resources Inc’s (GRNT) Stock Is Down 4.41%
- Why Permian Basin Royalty Trust’s (PBT) Stock Is Down 4.78%
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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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