Sifting through countless of stocks in the Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Matador Resources Company or SM Energy Company because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Matador Resources Company and SM Energy Company compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Matador Resources Company and SM Energy Company

Matador Resources Company, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas resources in the United States. It operates through two segments, Exploration and Production; and Midstream. The company primarily holds interests in the Wolfcamp and Bone Spring plays in the Delaware Basin in Southeast New Mexico and West Texas. It also operates the Haynesville shale and Cotton Valley plays in Northwest Louisiana. In addition, the company conducts midstream operations in support of its exploration, development, and production operations. Further, it provides natural gas processing and oil transportation services; and oil, natural gas, and produced water gathering services, as well as produced water disposal services to third parties, as well as sells natural gas to unaffiliated independent marketing companies and unaffiliated midstream companies. The company was formerly known as Matador Holdco, Inc. and changed its name to Matador Resources Company in August 2011. Matador Resources Company was incorporated in 2003 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

SM Energy Company, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. The company holds working interests in oil and gas producing wells in the Midland Basin, South Texas, Uinta Basin, and DJ Basin. The company was formerly known as St. Mary Land & Exploration Company and changed its name to SM Energy Company in May 2010. SM Energy Company was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Latest Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels and Matador Resources Company, SM Energy Company Stock News

As of September 2, 2026, Matador Resources Company had a $7.4 billion market capitalization, compared to the Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels median of $2.7 million. Matador Resources Company’s stock is up 39.7% in 2026, up 4.5% in the previous five trading days and up 16.34% in the past year.

Currently, Matador Resources Company’s price-earnings ratio is 10.2. Matador Resources Company’s trailing 12-month revenue is $3.8 billion with a 18.8% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 26.8%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $7.615 per share for the current fiscal year. Matador Resources Company currently has a 2.5% dividend yield.

As of September 2, 2026, SM Energy Company had a $9.1 billion market cap, putting it in the 76th percentile of all stocks. SM Energy Company’s stock is up 101.4% in 2026, up 2.3% in the previous five trading days and up 32.13% in the past year.

Currently, SM Energy Company’s price-earnings ratio is 6.4. SM Energy Company’s trailing 12-month revenue is $5.0 billion with a 20.2% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 176.1%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $7.144 per share for the current fiscal year. SM Energy Company currently has a 2.3% dividend yield.

How We Compare Matador Resources Company and SM Energy Company Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. 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 streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Matador Resources Company and SM Energy Company’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Matador Resources Company and SM Energy Company Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
Matador Resources Company	MTDR	C
SM Energy Company	SM	C

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

Matador Resources Company has a Growth Score of 59, which is Average. SM Energy Company has a Growth Score of 59, which is Average.

The Growth Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Matador Resources Company or SM Energy Company has a high enough Growth Grade to be considered a “winner.” Investors who are considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Matador Resources Company or SM Energy Company is the better investment when it comes to sustainable growth.

Matador Resources Company and SM Energy Company’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
Matador Resources Company	MTDR	B
SM Energy Company	SM	B

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Matador Resources Company has a Momentum Score of 62, which is Strong. SM Energy Company has a Momentum Score of 77, which is Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Momentum Grade breakdown above, both Matador Resources Company and SM Energy Company have a grade of B. For those who focus solely on a company’s momentum, further research will need to be conducted into both companies to see if they fit your individual needs as an investor.

Matador Resources Company and SM Energy Company’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
Matador Resources Company	MTDR	C
SM Energy Company	SM	C

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Matador Resources Company has a Earnings Estimate Score of 59, which is Neutral. SM Energy Company has a Earnings Estimate Score of 51, which is Neutral.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Stock Winner: No Clear Winner

Neither Matador Resources Company or SM Energy Company has an Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade that could be considered a “winner.” Investors considering these companies should do additional due diligence and research to see if either could be a good addition to their portfolios. It’s important to look at a wide range of financial metrics in order to determine if Matador Resources Company or SM Energy Company is the better investment when it comes to estimate revisions.

Other Matador Resources Company and SM Energy Company Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Momentum and Growth, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Quality.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Matador Resources Company and SM Energy Company pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Matador Resources Company or SM Energy Company Stock?

Overall, Matador Resources Company stock has a Growth Score of 59, Momentum Score of 62 and Estimate Revisions Score of 59.

SM Energy Company stock has a Growth Score of 59, Momentum Score of 77 and Estimate Revisions Score of 51.

Comparing Matador Resources Company and SM Energy Company’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

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

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.