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.

Latest Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stock News

Before choosing which top Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production stock to buy, be sure to conduct proper due diligence: analyze various financial metrics and look at historical data, public statements and news coverage.

The outlook for the oil and gas exploration and production sub-industry is mostly favorable for the foreseeable future. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a major oil shock occurred in 2020. Since then, crude oil prices have begun to recover, currently priced at around $60 per barrel as a result of persistent supply cuts by the OPEC-Plus Consortium. While the demand perspective remains uncertain, from a supply perspective, both OPEC and non-OPEC participants have a conservative production outlook in 2021. The most significant unknown factor is the potential lifting of Iran sanctions by the Biden administration and its impact. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), oil demand is expected to increase by about 5.4 mmb/d, to 96.4 mmb/d in 2021. While this appears to be a strong year-over-year increase, it is well in line with the 2019 demand of around 100 mmb/d, signifying only a 60% recovery from the pandemic. In May 2021, the EIA forecasted WTI crude oil prices as $59 dollars per barrel in 2021 and $57 per barrel in 2022. At these price points, exploration and production operations are expected to generate significant free cashflow.

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, February 06, 2023. 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.

APA Corp (US)’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

APA Corporation is an independent energy company that explores for, develops, and produces natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). Its upstream business has exploration and production operations in three geographic areas: the United States (U.S.), Egypt, and offshore the United Kingdom (U.K.) in the North Sea (North Sea). It has exploration, and appraisal operations in Suriname, as well as interests in other international locations. The Company’s midstream business (Altus Midstream) is operated by Altus Midstream Company through its subsidiary Altus Midstream LP (collectively, Altus). Altus owns, develops, and operates a midstream energy asset network in the Permian Basin of West Texas. It holds approximately 332,000 gross acres (238,000 net acres) in the Southern Midland Basin. It holds approximately 267,000 gross acres (134,000 net acres) in the Delaware Basin. The Company also approximately 3.2 million gross acres (1.5 million net acres) in legacy properties.

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.

APA Corp (US) has a Value Score of 88, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at APA Corp (US)’s price-to-sales ratio at 1.27 compared to the industry median at 1.67, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make APA Corp (US)’s stock more attractive for value investors.

APA Corp (US)’s price-earnings ratio is 4.02 compared to the industry median at 5.11. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make APA Corp (US) more attractive for value investors.

Now, let’s assess APA Corp (US)’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 2.8, when compared to the industry median of 3.2, 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. APA Corp (US)’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of 0.00%. 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. APA Corp (US)’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 1.64. This could make APA Corp (US) less attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at APA Corp (US)’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. APA Corp (US)’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 5.70. This could make APA Corp (US) more attractive because the lower P/FCF ratio indicates that APA Corp (US) 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.

CNX Resources Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

CNX Resources Corporation is an independent natural gas and midstream company. The Company is primarily engaged in the exploration, development, production and acquisition of natural gas properties in the Appalachian Basin. Its principal activity is to produce pipeline natural gas for sale primarily to gas wholesalers. Additionally, the Company operates and develops coal bed methane (CBM) properties in Virginia. The Company’s segment includes Shale and Coalbed Methane (CBM). Its Shale properties extract natural gas from Shale formations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio from approximately 526,000 net Marcellus Shale acres and approximately 610,000 net Utica Shale acres. It extracts CBM in Virginia from approximately 282,000 net CBM acres in Central Appalachia. It also extracts natural gas from other shale and shallow oil and gas positions primarily in Illinois, Indiana, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia from approximately 1,006,000 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.

CNX Resources Corp has a Value Score of 95, which is considered to be undervalued.

CNX Resources Corp’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make CNX Resources Corp less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.64.

You can read more about CNX Resources 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.

EQT Corp’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

EQT Corporation is a natural gas producer with operations focused on the Marcellus and Utica Shales of the Appalachian Basin. It has approximately 25.0 trillion cubic feet equivalents (Tcfe) of proved natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and crude oil reserves across approximately 2.0 million gross acres, including approximately 1.7 million gross acres in the Marcellus play. The Company is focused on the execution of combo-development projects, which refers to the development of several multi-well pads in tandem. It owns or leases approximately 610,000 net acres in Pennsylvania. The Company owns or leases approximately 405,000 net acres in West Virginia. It also owns or leases approximately 65,000 net acres in eastern Ohio. It primarily contracts with MarkWest Energy Partners, L.P. (MarkWest) to process its natural gas and extract from the produced natural gas heavier hydrocarbon streams (consisting predominately of ethane, propane, isobutane, normal butane and natural gasoline.

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.

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

EQT Corp’s price-earnings ratio is 6.8 compared to the industry median at 5.1. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes EQT Corp less attractive for value investors.

EQT Corp’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make EQT Corp less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.64.

You can read more about EQT 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.

Diamondback Energy Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Diamondback Energy, Inc. is an independent oil and gas company, which is focused on the acquisition, development, exploration and exploitation of unconventional, onshore oil and natural gas reserves in the Permian Basin in West Texas. The Company operates through upstream segment which is engaged in the acquisition, development, exploration and exploitation of unconventional, onshore oil and natural gas reserves primarily in the Permian Basin in West Texas. The midstream operations are focused on owning, operating, developing and acquiring midstream infrastructure assets in the Midland and Delaware Basins of the Permian Basin. Its total acreage position in the Permian Basin is approximately 525,045 acres, which consisted primarily of approximately 343,782 acres in the Midland Basin and approximately 153,203 acres in the Delaware Basin. Its subsidiaries include Diamondback E&P; LLC, Viper Energy Partners GP LLC, Rattler Midstream GP LLC and QEP Resources, Inc.

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 88, which is considered to be undervalued.

Diamondback Energy Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 5.6 compared to the industry median at 5.1. 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 1.64.

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.

Pioneer Natural Resources Co’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Pioneer Natural Resources Company is an oil and gas exploration and production company. The Company explores for, develops and produces oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs) and gas in the Midland Basin in West Texas. The Company conducts exploitation and exploration activities in the Spraberry/Wolfcamp oil field located in the Midland Basin in West Texas. The Company holds approximately 976,000 gross acres, of which 961,000 gross acres are located in the Spraberry/Wolfcamp field in the Midland Basin of West Texas. The oil produced from the Spraberry/Wolfcamp field in the Midland Basin is West Texas Intermediate Sweet, and the gas produced is casinghead gas with an average energy content of 1,400 British thermal unit (Btu). The oil and gas are produced primarily from six formations, the Spraberry, the Jo Mill, the Dean, the Wolfcamp, the Strawn and the Atoka. Its subsidiaries include Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc., Pioneer Sands LLC and Pioneer Uravan, Inc., among others.

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.

Pioneer Natural Resources Co has a Value Score of 81, which is considered to be undervalued.

Pioneer Natural Resources Co’s price-earnings ratio is 7.8 compared to the industry median at 5.1. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Pioneer Natural Resources Co less attractive for value investors.

Pioneer Natural Resources Co’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Pioneer Natural Resources Co more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.64.

You can read more about Pioneer Natural 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.

SandRidge Energy Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

SandRidge Energy, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas company that is focused on acquisition, development and production activities. The Company’s primary areas of operation are the Mid-Continent in Oklahoma and Kansas. The Company holds interests in over 1,442 gross producing wells, approximately 947 of which it operates, and approximately 551,000 gross total acres under lease located primarily in Oklahoma and Kansas. Its productive wells consist of wells that are producing hydrocarbons. The Company sells its oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) to a range of customers, including oil and natural gas companies and trading and energy marketing companies. The Company’s subsidiaries include Lariat Services, Inc., SandRidge Exploration and Production, LLC, SandRidge Holdings, Inc., SandRidge Midstream, Inc., SandRidge Operating Company and SandRidge Realty, 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.

SandRidge Energy Inc has a Value Score of 86, which is considered to be undervalued.

SandRidge Energy Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 3.3 compared to the industry median at 5.1. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes SandRidge Energy Inc more attractive for value investors.

SandRidge Energy Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make SandRidge Energy Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.64.

You can read more about SandRidge 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.

Southwestern Energy Company’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Southwestern Energy Company is an independent energy company. The Company operates through two segments: Exploration and Production (E&P;) and Marketing. It is engaged in the business of exploration and production of natural gas as well as associated natural gas liquids (NGLs) and oil in its core positions in the Appalachia and Haynesville natural gas basins in the United States. It is focused on the development of unconventional natural gas reservoirs located in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio and Louisiana. Its operations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio (Appalachia) are primarily focused on the Marcellus Shale, the Utica and the Upper Devonian unconventional natural gas and liquids reservoirs. Its operations in Louisiana (Haynesville) are focused on the Haynesville and Bossier natural gas reservoirs. It operates a fleet of drilling rigs and has leased a pressure pumping spread with a total capacity of 51,000 horsepower along with additional supporting pump down equipment.

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.

Southwestern Energy Company has a Value Score of 74, which is considered to be undervalued.

Southwestern Energy Company’s price-earnings ratio is 3.9 compared to the industry median at 5.1. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Southwestern Energy Company more attractive for value investors.

Southwestern Energy Company’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make Southwestern Energy Company more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.64.

You can read more about Southwestern Energy Company’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.

• APA Corp (US) stock has a Value Grade of A.
• CNX Resources Corp stock has a Value Grade of A.
• EQT Corp stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Diamondback Energy Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Pioneer Natural Resources Co stock has a Value Grade of A.
• SandRidge Energy Inc stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Southwestern Energy Company stock has a Value Grade of B.

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, February 06
• 7 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Friday, February 03
• Which Is a Better Investment, Antero Resources Corp or Magnolia Oil & Gas Corp Stock?
• Which Is a Better Investment, Antero Resources Corp or Matador Resources Co Stock?

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