Devon Energy (DVN) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock’s performance in the near term.
Over the past month, shares of this oil and gas exploration company have returned -21.4%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite’s -6.7% change. During this period, the Zacks Oil and Gas – Exploration and Production – United States industry, which Devon Energy falls in, has lost 13.4%. The key question now is: What could be the stock’s future direction?
While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company’s business prospects usually make its stock ‘trending’ and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.
LEARN MORE: Read About Oklahoma’s STACK & SCOOP Play
Earnings Estimate Revisions
Rather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company’s earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.
We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors’ interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
For the current quarter, Devon Energy is expected to post earnings of $1.57 per share, indicating a change of -16.5% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -16.7% over the last 30 days.
The consensus earnings estimate of $7.04 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of -15.3%. This estimate has changed -10.2% over the last 30 days.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $7.17 indicates a change of +1.9% from what Devon Energy is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed -5%.
With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool — the Zacks Rank — is a more conclusive indicator of a stock’s near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for Devon Energy.
The chart below shows the evolution of the company’s forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Revenue Growth Forecast
Even though a company’s earnings growth is arguably the best indicator of its financial health, nothing much happens if it cannot raise its revenues. It’s almost impossible for a company to grow its earnings without growing its revenue for long periods. Therefore, knowing a company’s potential revenue growth is crucial.
For Devon Energy, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $4.22 billion indicates a year-over-year change of +10.8%. For the current and next fiscal years, $17.82 billion and $17.49 billion estimates indicate -7% and -1.8% changes, respectively.
READ MORE ON DEVON: Christmas for Devon Energy in Oklahoma’s STACK play
Last Reported Results and Surprise History
Devon Energy reported revenues of $4.3 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +0.6%. EPS of $1.66 for the same period compares with $1.39 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.65 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of -7.5%. The EPS surprise was -5.14%.
Over the last four quarters, Devon Energy surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates two times over this period.
Valuation
No investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock’s valuation. Whether a stock’s current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company’s growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.
While comparing the current values of a company’s valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S) and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock’s price.
As part of the Zacks Style Scores system, the Zacks Value Style Score (which evaluates both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics) organizes stocks into five groups ranging from A to F (A is better than B; B is better than C; and so on), making it helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
Devon Energy is graded A on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers. Click here to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
Bottom Line
The facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it’s worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Devon Energy. However, its Zacks Rank #3 does suggest that it may perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
Zacks is the leading investment research firm focusing on stock research, analysis and recommendations. In 1978, our founder discovered the power of earnings estimate revisions to enable profitable investment decisions. Today, that discovery is still the heart of the Zacks Rank. A wealth of resources for individual investors is available at www.zacks.com.
DEVON ENERGY
Devon Energy Corporation is a leading independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company. Devon’s operations are focused onshore in the United States.
The company’s portfolio of oil and gas properties provides stable, environmentally responsible production and a platform for future growth. Devon’s fourth-quarter 2021 daily production was approximately 300,000 barrels of oil, more than 150,000 barrels of natural gas liquids, and about 940 million cubic feet of natural gas.
