Based on key financial metrics such as the price-to-sales ratio, shareholder yield and the price-earnings ratio, the following 5 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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5 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 5 undervalued stocks in the Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production industry for Monday, May 29, 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.

Berry Corporation (Bry)’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Berry Corporation (bry) is an independent upstream energy company. The Company operates through two segments: exploration and production (E&P;) and well servicing and abandonment (CJWS). The E&P; segment consists of the development and production of onshore, low geologic risk, long-lived conventional oil and gas reserves, primarily located in California, as well as Utah. Its California operating area consists of properties located in Midway-Sunset, South Belridge, McKittrick and Poso Creek fields in the San Joaquin basin in Kern County. The Company operates Uinta basin operations in the Brundage Canyon, Ashley Forest, and Lake Canyon areas in Utah. The well servicing and abandonment segment provides wellsite services in California for oil and natural gas production companies, with a focus on well servicing, well abandonment services and water logistics. The Company?s subsidiaries include Berry Petroleum Company, LLC; CJ Berry Well Services Management, LLC; and C&J; Well Services, 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.

Berry Corporation (Bry) has a Value Score of 95, which is considered to be undervalued.

When you look at Berry Corporation (Bry)’s price-to-sales ratio at 0.46 compared to the industry median at 1.55, this company has a lower price relative to revenue compared to its peers. This could make Berry Corporation (Bry)’s stock more attractive for value investors.

Berry Corporation (Bry)’s price-earnings ratio is 1.77 compared to the industry median at 4.58. This means it has a lower share price relative to earnings compared to its peers. This could make Berry Corporation (Bry) more attractive for value investors.

Now, let’s assess Berry Corporation (Bry)’s EV/EBITDA ratio, also known as enterprise multiple. At 2.6, when compared to the industry median of 2.9, 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. Berry Corporation (Bry)’s shareholder yield is higher than its industry median ratio of 0.83%. 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. Berry Corporation (Bry)’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its industry median ratio of 1.36. This could make Berry Corporation (Bry) more attractive to investors looking for a new addition to their portfolio.

Lastly, let’s take a look at Berry Corporation (Bry)’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio (P/FCF), which can indicate a company’s market value relative to its operating cash flow. Berry Corporation (Bry)’s price-to-free-cash-flow ratio is higher than its industry median ratio of 5.09. This could make Berry Corporation (Bry) less attractive because the higher P/FCF ratio indicates that Berry Corporation (Bry) 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.

Epsilon Energy Ltd’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

Epsilon Energy Ltd. is an onshore natural gas production and midstream company with a focus on the Marcellus Shale of Pennsylvania. The Company is engaged in the acquisition, development, gathering and production of natural gas and oil reserves. The Company operates through three segments: Upstream, Gathering System, and Corporate. The Upstream segment's activities include acquisition, exploration, development and production of oil and natural gas reserves on properties within the United States. The Gathering System segment partners with two other companies to operate a natural gas gathering system. The Company has natural gas production in the Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania, and oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas production in the Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma. The Company's subsidiaries include Epsilon Energy USA Inc., Epsilon Midstream, LLC, Epsilon Operating, LLC, Dewey Energy GP LLC, Dewey Energy Holdings, LLC, and Altolisa Holdings, 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.

Epsilon Energy Ltd has a Value Score of 92, which is considered to be undervalued.

Epsilon Energy Ltd’s price-earnings ratio is 3.5 compared to the industry median at 4.6. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Epsilon Energy Ltd more attractive for value investors.

Epsilon Energy Ltd’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Epsilon Energy Ltd less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.36.

You can read more about Epsilon 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.

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 1.8 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 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 93, which is considered to be undervalued.

EQT Corp’s price-earnings ratio is 3.5 compared to the industry median at 4.6. This means that it has a lower price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes EQT Corp more 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 1.36.

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.

Highpeak Energy Inc’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

HighPeak Energy, Inc. is an independent crude oil and natural gas company. The Company is engaged in the acquisition, development and production of crude oil, natural gas liquid (NGL) and natural gas reserves. The Company?s assets are primarily located in Howard and Borden Counties, Texas, which lie within the northeastern part of the crude oil-rich Midland Basin. Its acreage is composed of two core areas, Flat Top to the north and Signal Peak to the south. The Company, through Priority Power Management, LLC develops an electric high-voltage (EHV) substation, medium voltage distribution systems and a 13-megawatt direct current solar photovoltaic facility located on approximately 80 acres of land owned by the Company north of Big Spring, Texas in Howard County to provide for the Company?s electrical power needs in its Flat Top operating area including powering drilling rigs and day-to-day operations. It has over 100,000 net acres located primarily in Howard County.

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.

Highpeak Energy Inc has a Value Score of 64, which is considered to be undervalued.

Highpeak Energy Inc’s price-earnings ratio is 5.8 compared to the industry median at 4.6. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes Highpeak Energy Inc less attractive for value investors.

Highpeak Energy Inc’s price-to-book ratio is higher than its peers. This could make Highpeak Energy Inc less attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.36.

You can read more about Highpeak 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.

MV Oil Trust’s Value Grade

Value Grade:

MV Oil Trust (the Trust) is a statutory trust. The business and affairs of the trust are managed by The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., (the Trustee) and MV Partners, LLC (MV Partners) and its affiliates, which include Vess Oil Corporation and Murfin Drilling Company, Inc. The Trust acquire and holds a term net profits interest, which include interest in underlying properties consisting of MV Partners? net interests in all of its oil and natural gas properties located in the Mid-Continent region in the states of Kansas and Colorado (the underlying properties). The underlying properties include El Dorado, Augusta, Valley Center, Bemis-Shutts, Trapp, Ray and Hansen Fields. These oil and gas properties include approximately 860 producing oil and gas wells. The El Dorado Field is located atop the Nemaha Ridge in Central Butler County. The Bemis-Shutts Field is located on the Fairport Anticline within the Central Kansas Uplift.

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.

MV Oil Trust has a Value Score of 61, which is considered to be undervalued.

MV Oil Trust’s price-earnings ratio is 5.4 compared to the industry median at 4.6. This means that it has a higher price relative to its earnings compared to its peers. This makes MV Oil Trust less attractive for value investors.

MV Oil Trust’s price-to-book ratio is lower than its peers. This could make MV Oil Trust more attractive for value investors when compared to the industry median at 1.36.

You can read more about MV Oil 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 5 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.

• Berry Corporation (Bry) stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Epsilon Energy Ltd stock has a Value Grade of A.
• EQT Corp stock has a Value Grade of A.
• Highpeak Energy Inc stock has a Value Grade of B.
• MV Oil Trust stock has a Value Grade of B.

Now that you have a bit more background about each of the 5 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.

• 5 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Monday, May 29
• 7 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Friday, May 26
• 6 Undervalued Oil & Gas - Exploration and Production Stocks for Thursday, May 25
• Why Amplify Energy Corp’s (AMPY) Stock Is Down 4.28%

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