Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) vs Crescent Energy Company (CRGY) 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 | CRGY | 22.1% revenue growth vs EP's 9.7% |
| Quality / Margins | CRGY | 3.7% net margin vs EP's -46.5% |
| Stability / Safety | CRGY | Beta 1.74 vs EP's 1.74 |
| Dividends | CRGY | 4.0% yield; 3-year raise streak; EP pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CRGY | -3.8% vs EP's -52.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | CRGY | 2.6% ROA vs EP's -14.1%, ROIC 1.9% vs -19.3% |
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
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.
Crescent Energy is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company operating across multiple U.S. basins. It generates revenue primarily from selling crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids produced from its portfolio of assets in proven regions like the Eagle Ford, Permian, and Rockies. The company's competitive advantage lies in its large inventory of undrilled locations—over 1,500 gross locations—providing years of low-risk development opportunities.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
CRGY leads in 5 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CRGY is the larger business by revenue, generating $3.6B annually — 96.1x EP's $37M. CRGY is the more profitable business, keeping 3.7% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to EP's -46.5%. On growth, CRGY holds the edge at -1.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | CRGYCrescent Energy C… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $37M | $3.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$5M | $1.4B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$17M | $133M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$15M | $104M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +47.7% | +88.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -43.9% | +6.4% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -46.5% | +3.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -40.7% | +2.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -13.9% | -1.2% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +8.3% | +98.2% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | CRGYCrescent Energy C… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $113M | $3.8B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $123M | $9.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -6.11x | 21.59x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 9.17x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 6.70x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.57x | 1.07x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.58x | 0.55x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 2.28x |
Profitability & Efficiency
CRGY delivers a 2.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $3 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 CRGY's 1.07x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CRGY scores 6/9 vs EP's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | CRGYCrescent Energy C… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -32.3% | +2.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -14.1% | +2.6% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -19.3% | +1.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -16.1% | +3.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.19x | 1.07x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $10M | $5.5B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2M | $290,000 |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $12M | $5.5B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -12.46x | 2.92x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in EP five years ago would be worth $20,625 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $8,193 for CRGY. Over the past 12 months, CRGY leads with a -3.8% total return vs EP's -52.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CRGY at 4.4% vs EP's -36.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | CRGYCrescent Energy C… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +8.6% | +37.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -52.2% | -3.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -74.6% | +14.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +106.3% | -18.1% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +1078.6% | -18.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -36.7% | +4.4% |
Risk & Volatility
CRGY is the less volatile stock with a 1.74 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. CRGY currently trades 90.7% 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 … | CRGYCrescent Energy C… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.74x | 1.74x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $6.90 | $12.85 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.77 | $6.83 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +47.8% | +90.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 51.2 | 64.1 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 44K | 4.8M |
Analyst Outlook
CRGY is the only dividend payer here at 4.03% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | CRGYCrescent Energy C… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $11.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 11 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +4.0% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 3 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $0.47 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.9% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jan 22 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | 100 | 23.63 | -76.4% |
| Crescent Energy Com… (CRGY) | 79.96 | 56.06 | -29.9% |
Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) returned +106% over 5 years vs Crescent Energy Com… (CRGY)'s -18%. A $10,000 investment in EP 5 years ago would be worth $20,625 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | $0.00 | $44M | — |
| Crescent Energy Com… (CRGY) | $1.1B | $3.6B | +229.3% |
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2018 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | -2.9% | -36.8% | -1174.4% |
| Crescent Energy Com… (CRGY) | -1.3% | 3.7% | +383.0% |
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 3 Years
| Stock | 2022 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crescent Energy Com… (CRGY) | 5.4 | 15.5 | +187.0% |
Crescent Energy Company has traded in a 5x–29x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~22x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | -0.18 | -0.54 | -200.0% |
| Crescent Energy Com… (CRGY) | 0 | 0.54 | — |
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Empire Petroleum Corporation generated $-48M FCF in 2024 (-185% vs 2021). Crescent Energy Company generated $2B FCF in 2025 (+4576% vs 2021).
EP vs CRGY: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is EP or CRGY a better buy right now?
Crescent Energy Company (CRGY) offers the better valuation at 21.6x trailing P/E (9.2x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Crescent Energy Company (CRGY) a "Buy" — based on 11 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 the better long-term investment — EP or CRGY?
Over the past 5 years, Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) delivered a total return of +106.3%, compared to -18.1% for Crescent Energy Company (CRGY). A $10,000 investment in EP five years ago would be worth approximately $21K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: EP returned +1079% versus CRGY's -18.1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — EP or CRGY?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Crescent Energy Company (CRGY) is the lower-risk stock at 1.74β versus Empire Petroleum Corporation's 1.74β — meaning EP is approximately 0% more volatile than CRGY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 19% versus 107% for Crescent Energy Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — EP or CRGY?
Crescent Energy Company (CRGY) is the more profitable company, earning 3.7% net margin versus -36.8% for Empire Petroleum Corporation — meaning it keeps 3.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CRGY leads at 6.4% versus -31.0% for EP. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CRGY leads at 88.6%, 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — EP or CRGY?
In this comparison, CRGY (4.0% yield) pays a dividend. EP does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is EP or CRGY 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). Crescent Energy Company (CRGY) carries a higher beta of 1.74 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (EP: +1079%, CRGY: -18.1%), 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.
07What are the main differences between EP and CRGY?
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; CRGY is a small-cap income-oriented stock. CRGY pays a dividend while EP 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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