Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) vs Infinity Natural Resources, Inc. (INR) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | INR | 60.2% revenue growth vs EP's 9.7% |
| Quality / Margins | INR | -0.6% net margin vs EP's -46.5% |
| Stability / Safety | INR | Beta 1.05 vs EP's 1.74 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | INR | -7.7% vs EP's -52.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | INR | -0.2% ROA vs EP's -14.1%, ROIC 10.1% vs -19.3% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Empire Petroleum Corporation is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on acquiring and developing mature producing assets. It generates revenue primarily from oil sales (roughly 60% of revenue) and natural gas sales (roughly 40%), with production concentrated in the Permian Basin and other established U.S. basins. The company's competitive advantage lies in its operational expertise in revitalizing underdeveloped assets and its low-cost structure relative to larger peers.
Infinity Natural Resources is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on developing shale resources in the Appalachian Basin. It generates revenue primarily from selling crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids extracted from its Utica and Marcellus shale acreage in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The company's competitive advantage lies in its concentrated acreage position in prolific shale plays — particularly its approximately 63,000 net acres in the Utica Shale — which provides operational scale and resource density.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
INR leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). EP leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
INR is the larger business by revenue, generating $308M annually — 8.3x EP's $37M. INR is the more profitable business, keeping -0.6% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to EP's -46.5%. On growth, INR holds the edge at +15.1% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | INRInfinity Natural … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $37M | $308M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$5M | $76M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$17M | -$2M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$15M | -$124M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +47.7% | +53.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -43.9% | -4.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -46.5% | -0.6% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -40.7% | -40.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -13.9% | +15.1% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +8.3% | -80.8% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | INRInfinity Natural … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $113M | $751.1B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $123M | $751.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -6.11x | 4.46x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 6.08x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 4486.84x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.57x | 2899.82x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.58x | 0.43x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
INR delivers a -0.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $-0 in annual profit, vs $-32 for EP. EP carries lower financial leverage with a 0.19x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to INR's 0.51x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), INR scores 6/9 vs EP's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | INRInfinity Natural … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -32.3% | -0.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -14.1% | -0.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -19.3% | +10.1% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -16.1% | +13.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.19x | 0.51x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $10M | $259M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2M | $2M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $12M | $261M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -12.46x | -0.49x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
Over the past 12 months, INR leads with a -7.7% total return vs EP's -52.2%.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | INRInfinity Natural … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +8.6% | +12.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -52.2% | -7.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -74.6% | — |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +106.3% | — |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +1078.6% | — |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -36.7% | — |
Risk & Volatility
INR is the less volatile stock with a 1.05 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than EP's 1.74 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. INR currently trades 83.4% from its 52-week high vs EP's 47.8% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | INRInfinity Natural … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.74x | 1.05x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $6.90 | $19.90 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.77 | $11.13 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +47.8% | +83.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 51.2 | 50.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 44K | 153K |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | INRInfinity Natural … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $20.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 6 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Feb 25 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | 100 | 49.75 | -50.3% |
| Infinity Natural Re… (INR) | ∞ | ∞ | NaN% |
Infinity Natural Re… (INR) returned +InfinityK% over 5 years vs Empire Petroleum Co… (EP)'s +106%. A $10,000 investment in INR 5 years ago would be worth $∞ today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | $0.00 | $44M | — |
| Infinity Natural Re… (INR) | $143M | $259M | +80.9% |
Empire Petroleum Corporation's revenue grew from $0M (2015) to $44M (2024) — a 0.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | -2.9% | -36.8% | -1174.4% |
| Infinity Natural Re… (INR) | 47.6% | 19.0% | -60.0% |
Empire Petroleum Corporation's net margin went from -3% (2018) to -37% (2024).
Chart 4EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | -0.08 | -0.54 | -572.5% |
| Infinity Natural Re… (INR) | 1.16 | 3.72 | +220.7% |
Empire Petroleum Corporation's EPS grew from $-0.08 (2015) to $-0.54 (2024).
Chart 5Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Empire Petroleum Corporation generated $-48M FCF in 2024 (-185% vs 2021). Infinity Natural Resources, Inc. generated $-78M FCF in 2024 (-156% vs 2022).
EP vs INR: Frequently Asked Questions
6 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is EP or INR a better buy right now?
Infinity Natural Resources, Inc. (INR) offers the better valuation at 4.5x trailing P/E (6.1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Infinity Natural Resources, Inc. (INR) a "Buy" — based on 6 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is safer — EP or INR?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Infinity Natural Resources, Inc. (INR) is the lower-risk stock at 1.05β versus Empire Petroleum Corporation's 1.74β — meaning EP is approximately 66% more volatile than INR relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 19% versus 51% for Infinity Natural Resources, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
03Which has better profit margins — EP or INR?
Infinity Natural Resources, Inc. (INR) is the more profitable company, earning 19.0% net margin versus -36.8% for Empire Petroleum Corporation — meaning it keeps 19.0% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: INR leads at 36.2% versus -31.0% for EP. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — INR leads at 52.1%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
04Which pays a better dividend — EP or INR?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
05Is EP or INR better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (+1079% 10Y return). Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
06What are the main differences between EP and INR?
Both stocks operate in the Energy sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: EP is a small-cap quality compounder stock; INR is a large-cap deep-value stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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