Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Obsidian Energy Ltd. (OBE) vs ConocoPhillips (COP) 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 | OBE | 28.2% revenue growth vs COP's 9.3% |
| Value | COP | Lower P/E (23.0x vs 35.0x) |
| Quality / Margins | COP | 13.3% net margin vs OBE's -33.7% |
| Stability / Safety | COP | Beta 0.99 vs OBE's 1.39 |
| Dividends | COP | 2.9% yield; 1-year raise streak; OBE pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | OBE | +43.5% vs COP's +17.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | COP | 6.5% ROA vs OBE's -13.2%, ROIC 10.7% vs -10.3% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Obsidian Energy is an oil and natural gas exploration and production company operating primarily in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin. It generates revenue through the sale of crude oil (roughly 70% of production) and natural gas liquids, with natural gas making up the remainder. The company's competitive advantage lies in its extensive, low-decline asset base in established Canadian basins — which provides operational efficiency and predictable production.
ConocoPhillips is a global independent exploration and production company that finds, produces, and sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids. It generates revenue primarily from selling hydrocarbons produced from its diverse portfolio — including unconventional shale plays in North America, conventional assets worldwide, and oil sands in Canada — with no refining or marketing operations. The company's competitive advantage lies in its low-cost position, large-scale resource base, and operational expertise across multiple geographies and resource types.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
COP leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). OBE leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
COP is the larger business by revenue, generating $59.7B annually — 84.7x OBE's $705M. COP is the more profitable business, keeping 13.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to OBE's -33.7%. On growth, COP holds the edge at -0.3% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | OBEObsidian Energy L… | COPConocoPhillips |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $705M | $59.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $311M | $23.2B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$237M | $7.9B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$5M | $16.8B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | -1.8% | +35.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -44.3% | +19.8% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -33.7% | +13.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -0.6% | +28.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -32.4% | -0.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -42.9% | -38.4% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, OBE's 2.6x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than COP's 6.7x.
| Metric | OBEObsidian Energy L… | COPConocoPhillips |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $527M | $139.0B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $777M | $156.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -4.02x | 17.90x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 35.04x | 23.03x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 2.58x | 6.71x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.86x | 2.33x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.58x | 2.11x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 8.29x |
Profitability & Efficiency
COP delivers a 12.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $12 in annual profit, vs $-17 for OBE. OBE carries lower financial leverage with a 0.24x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to COP's 0.36x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), COP scores 7/9 vs OBE's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | OBEObsidian Energy L… | COPConocoPhillips |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -16.9% | +12.3% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -13.2% | +6.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -10.3% | +10.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -12.9% | +10.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.24x | 0.36x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $343M | $16.9B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | — | $6.5B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $343M | $23.4B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -13.27x | 11.99x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in OBE five years ago would be worth $57,721 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $24,904 for COP. Over the past 12 months, OBE leads with a +43.5% total return vs COP's +17.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors COP at 6.3% vs OBE's 3.5% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | OBEObsidian Energy L… | COPConocoPhillips |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +24.8% | +18.2% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +43.5% | +17.7% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +10.9% | +20.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +477.2% | +149.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +20.4% | +306.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +3.5% | +6.3% |
Risk & Volatility
COP is the less volatile stock with a 0.99 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than OBE's 1.39 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | OBEObsidian Energy L… | COPConocoPhillips |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.39x | 0.99x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $8.10 | $113.80 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $3.88 | $79.88 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +96.9% | +99.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 55.9 | 62.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 436K | 7.0M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates OBE as "Hold" and COP as "Buy". COP is the only dividend payer here at 2.94% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | OBEObsidian Energy L… | COPConocoPhillips |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $116.79 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 1 | 52 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +2.9% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $3.34 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +5.8% | +3.6% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Energy Ltd. (OBE) | 100 | 1,299.28 | +1199.3% |
| ConocoPhillips (COP) | 100 | 206.76 | +106.8% |
Obsidian Energy Ltd. (OBE) returned +477% over 5 years vs ConocoPhillips (COP)'s +149%. A $10,000 investment in OBE 5 years ago would be worth $57,721 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Energy Ltd. (OBE) | $608M | $838M | +37.8% |
| ConocoPhillips (COP) | $23.9B | $59.7B | +149.8% |
ConocoPhillips's revenue grew from $23.9B (2016) to $59.7B (2025) — a 10.7% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Energy Ltd. (OBE) | -114.5% | -24.2% | +78.9% |
| ConocoPhillips (COP) | -15.1% | 13.3% | +187.8% |
ConocoPhillips's net margin went from -15% (2016) to 13% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Energy Ltd. (OBE) | 0.8 | 5.3 | +562.5% |
| ConocoPhillips (COP) | 11.7 | 14.8 | +26.5% |
Obsidian Energy Ltd. has traded in a 1x–5x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~-4x. ConocoPhillips has traded in a 8x–15x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~18x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obsidian Energy Ltd. (OBE) | -9.7 | -2.67 | +72.5% |
| ConocoPhillips (COP) | -2.9 | 6.34 | +318.6% |
ConocoPhillips's EPS grew from $-2.90 (2016) to $6.34 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Obsidian Energy Ltd. generated $-65M FCF in 2024 (-212% vs 2021). ConocoPhillips generated $17B FCF in 2025 (+44% vs 2021).
OBE vs COP: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is OBE or COP a better buy right now?
ConocoPhillips (COP) offers the better valuation at 17.9x trailing P/E (23.0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate ConocoPhillips (COP) a "Buy" — based on 52 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 has the better valuation — OBE or COP?
On forward P/E, ConocoPhillips is actually cheaper at 23.0x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — OBE or COP?
Over the past 5 years, Obsidian Energy Ltd. (OBE) delivered a total return of +477.2%, compared to +149.0% for ConocoPhillips (COP). A $10,000 investment in OBE five years ago would be worth approximately $58K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: COP returned +306.3% versus OBE's +20.4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — OBE or COP?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), ConocoPhillips (COP) is the lower-risk stock at 0.99β versus Obsidian Energy Ltd.'s 1.39β — meaning OBE is approximately 40% more volatile than COP relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Obsidian Energy Ltd. (OBE) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 24% versus 36% for ConocoPhillips — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — OBE or COP?
ConocoPhillips (COP) is the more profitable company, earning 13.3% net margin versus -24.2% for Obsidian Energy Ltd. — meaning it keeps 13.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: COP leads at 19.8% versus -29.8% for OBE. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — COP leads at 35.2%, 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.
06Is OBE or COP more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, ConocoPhillips (COP) trades at 23.0x forward P/E versus 35.0x for Obsidian Energy Ltd. — 12.0x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis.
07Which pays a better dividend — OBE or COP?
In this comparison, COP (2.9% yield) pays a dividend. OBE does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is OBE or COP better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, ConocoPhillips (COP) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.99), 2.9% yield, +306.3% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (COP: +306.3%, OBE: +20.4%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between OBE and COP?
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: OBE is a small-cap quality compounder stock; COP is a mid-cap deep-value stock. COP pays a dividend while OBE does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. 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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