Devon Energy Corporation’s DVN shares are down 8.1% in a year compared with a 2.5% decline in its industry and 25.6% growth of the Zacks S&P 500 composite.
While the one-year performance paints a dull picture for investors, looking at the last six months’ performance is crucial for a fuller understanding. DVN’s stock has gained 2.9% in the past six months, suggesting that it is on a gradual path of recovery. Another stock from the same industry, EQT Corporation EQT, registered an 11.4% decline in share price in the same time frame.
One-Year Price Performance
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Factors Acting as Tailwind for DVN Stock
Devon Energy has a multi-basin portfolio consisting of high-margin oil and gas assets. The assets DVN owns have significant long-term growth potential. The company continues to expand its asset holdings through strategic acquisition.
The company Devon Energy possesses assets that can deliver sustainable production extending many years into the future and provide reliable and affordable energy to customers. The assets currently owned by Devon can sustain the production levels for more than 10 years.
Devon also has a diverse commodity mix, with a balanced exposure to oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids production volumes. The company continues to evaluate opportunities to add more high-quality resources to its portfolio.
A low-cost operating structure boosts the company’s margins. DVN has been reducing its costs by selling higher-cost assets and bringing new lower-cost production assets online. Devon is also working to reduce its drilling and completion costs and is better aligning personnel with the go-forward business.
Devon’s Earnings Estimates Move Up
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Devon Energy’s 2024 and 2025 earnings per share has moved up 1.9% and 6.12%, respectively, in the past 60 days. The upward revision in earnings estimates indicates analysts’ increasing confidence in the stock.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2024 and 2025 earnings per share of its peer Occidental Petroleum OXY has gone down by 4.9% and 2.4%, respectively, in the past 60 days.
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Devon’s Capital Return Program
Devon Energy has been operating in such a manner that leads to sustainable free cash flow generation. The company is utilizing cash flow to reduce outstanding debts, pay dividends and buy back shares. Courtesy of the excellent execution of its plans, DVN has generated free cash flow for 16 straight quarters.
The company repurchased shares worth $2.7 billion as of June 30, 2024, and management has increased its share-repurchase authorization by 67% to $5 billion through mid-year 2026. Devon Energy distributed a fixed-plus-variable dividend of 44 cents per share in the second quarter. The current dividend yield is 1.97% better than the Zacks S&P Composite’s yield of 1.56%. Check DVN’s dividend history here.
DVN’s ROA Better Than Its Industry
Devon Energy’s trailing 12-month return on assets (ROA) is 14.46%, ahead of the industry average of 9.16%. ROA is a financial ratio that measures how well a company uses its assets to generate profits. The current ROA of the company indicates that it is using its assets more efficiently than its peers.
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DVN Shares Trading at a Discount
Devon Energy shares are somewhat inexpensive on a relative basis, with its current trailing 12-month Enterprise Value/Earnings before Interest Tax Depreciation and Amortization (EV/EBITDA TTM) being 4.41 compared with its industry average of 7.4.
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Summing Up
Devon Energy continues to have a very strong portfolio of high-quality assets. The contribution from its multi-basin assets generates free cash flow and assists the company in strengthening its balance sheet and increasing the value of its shareholders. Devon Energy has a balanced exposure to oil, natural gas and NGL production adds to its advantage.
This can be a favorable entry point for investors, as this high-quality stock with rising earnings estimates and strong return on assets is trading at a discount.
Those who already own this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock would do well to retain it in their portfolio.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here
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