Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) vs Mach Natural Resources LP (MNR) 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 | MNR | 27.2% revenue growth vs EP's 9.7% |
| Quality / Margins | MNR | 28.5% net margin vs EP's -46.5% |
| Stability / Safety | MNR | Beta 0.68 vs EP's 1.74 |
| Dividends | MNR | 24.4% yield; 1-year raise streak; EP pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | MNR | +0.9% vs EP's -52.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | MNR | 7.7% ROA vs EP's -14.1%, ROIC 11.7% 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.
Mach Natural Resources is an independent oil and gas company that acquires, develops, and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids reserves in the Anadarko Basin region. It makes money primarily from the sale of produced hydrocarbons — oil, natural gas, and NGLs — with revenue mix depending on commodity prices and production volumes. The company's competitive advantage lies in its strategic focus on the prolific Anadarko Basin and its operational expertise in developing these specific assets.
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
MNR leads in 5 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
MNR is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.0B annually — 27.5x EP's $37M. MNR is the more profitable business, keeping 28.5% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to EP's -46.5%. On growth, MNR holds the edge at +6.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | MNRMach Natural Reso… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $37M | $1.0B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$5M | $559M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$17M | $292M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$15M | $220M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +47.7% | +40.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -43.9% | +19.8% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -46.5% | +28.5% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -40.7% | +21.5% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -13.9% | +6.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +8.3% | -140.0% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | MNRMach Natural Reso… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $113M | $2.2B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $123M | $2.9B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -6.11x | 6.85x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 12.91x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 5.08x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.57x | 2.26x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.58x | 1.06x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 7.69x |
Profitability & Efficiency
MNR delivers a 14.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $15 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 MNR's 0.64x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), MNR scores 5/9 vs EP's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | MNRMach Natural Reso… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -32.3% | +14.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -14.1% | +7.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -19.3% | +11.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -16.1% | +14.5% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.19x | 0.64x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $10M | $660M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2M | $106M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $12M | $766M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -12.46x | 2.60x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in EP five years ago would be worth $20,625 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $10,191 for MNR. Over the past 12 months, MNR leads with a +0.9% total return vs EP's -52.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors MNR at 0.6% vs EP's -36.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | MNRMach Natural Reso… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +8.6% | +20.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -52.2% | +0.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -74.6% | +1.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +106.3% | +1.9% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +1078.6% | +1.9% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -36.7% | +0.6% |
Risk & Volatility
MNR is the less volatile stock with a 0.68 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. MNR currently trades 81.8% 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 … | MNRMach Natural Reso… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.74x | 0.68x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $6.90 | $15.91 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.77 | $10.46 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +47.8% | +81.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 51.2 | 55.4 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 44K | 295K |
Analyst Outlook
MNR is the only dividend payer here at 24.36% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | MNRMach Natural Reso… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $19.00 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 15 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +24.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $3.17 |
| 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 | Nov 23 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | 100 | 35.3 | -64.7% |
| Mach Natural Resour… (MNR) | 99.78 | 63.36 | -36.5% |
Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) returned +106% over 5 years vs Mach Natural Resour… (MNR)'s +2%. A $10,000 investment in EP 5 years ago would be worth $20,625 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | $0.00 | $44M | — |
| Mach Natural Resour… (MNR) | $392M | $970M | +147.0% |
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% |
| Mach Natural Resour… (MNR) | 35.3% | 19.1% | -45.8% |
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% |
| Mach Natural Resour… (MNR) | 1.46 | 1.9 | +30.1% |
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). Mach Natural Resources LP generated $285M FCF in 2024 (+81% vs 2021).
EP vs MNR: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is EP or MNR a better buy right now?
Mach Natural Resources LP (MNR) offers the better valuation at 6.9x trailing P/E (12.9x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Mach Natural Resources LP (MNR) a "Buy" — based on 15 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 MNR?
Over the past 5 years, Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) delivered a total return of +106.3%, compared to +1.9% for Mach Natural Resources LP (MNR). 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 MNR's +1.9%. 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 MNR?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Mach Natural Resources LP (MNR) is the lower-risk stock at 0.68β versus Empire Petroleum Corporation's 1.74β — meaning EP is approximately 157% more volatile than MNR relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 19% versus 64% for Mach Natural Resources LP — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — EP or MNR?
Mach Natural Resources LP (MNR) is the more profitable company, earning 19.1% net margin versus -36.8% for Empire Petroleum Corporation — meaning it keeps 19.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MNR leads at 30.0% versus -31.0% for EP. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — MNR leads at 34.2%, 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — EP or MNR?
In this comparison, MNR (24.4% yield) pays a dividend. EP does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is EP or MNR better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Mach Natural Resources LP (MNR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.68), 24.4% yield). Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) 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 (MNR: +1.9%, EP: +1079%), 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 MNR?
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; MNR is a small-cap deep-value stock. MNR 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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