Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) vs SandRidge Energy, Inc. (SD) 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 | EP | 9.7% revenue growth vs SD's -15.7% |
| Quality / Margins | SD | 42.4% net margin vs EP's -46.5% |
| Stability / Safety | SD | Beta 0.86 vs EP's 1.74 |
| Dividends | SD | 11.1% yield; 2-year raise streak; EP pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | SD | +53.8% vs EP's -52.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SD | 10.7% ROA vs EP's -14.1%, ROIC 8.6% 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.
SandRidge Energy is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company focused on the Mid-Continent region of the United States. It generates revenue primarily from the sale of oil and natural gas production — with oil contributing roughly 60% and natural gas around 40% of total revenue — derived from its operated wells in Oklahoma and Kansas. The company's competitive advantage lies in its low-cost operating structure and concentrated acreage position in mature, predictable basins that enable efficient development.
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
SD leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). EP leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
SD is the larger business by revenue, generating $156M annually — 4.2x EP's $37M. SD is the more profitable business, keeping 42.4% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to EP's -46.5%. On growth, SD holds the edge at +32.5% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | SDSandRidge Energy,… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $37M | $156M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$5M | $98M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$17M | $66M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$15M | $38M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +47.7% | +49.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -43.9% | +35.8% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -46.5% | +42.4% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -40.7% | +24.3% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -13.9% | +32.5% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +8.3% | -37.7% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | SDSandRidge Energy,… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $113M | $645M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $123M | $547M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -6.11x | 10.37x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 10.37x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 8.32x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.57x | 5.15x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.58x | 1.42x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 13.57x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SD delivers a 13.4% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $13 in annual profit, vs $-32 for EP. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SD scores 4/9 vs EP's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | SDSandRidge Energy,… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -32.3% | +13.4% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -14.1% | +10.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -19.3% | +8.6% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -16.1% | +6.4% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.19x | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $10M | -$98M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2M | $98M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $12M | $0 |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -12.46x | 69.60x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SD five years ago would be worth $43,649 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $20,625 for EP. Over the past 12 months, SD leads with a +53.8% total return vs EP's -52.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SD at 14.9% vs EP's -36.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | SDSandRidge Energy,… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +8.6% | +18.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -52.2% | +53.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -74.6% | +51.7% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +106.3% | +336.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +1078.6% | +13.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -36.7% | +14.9% |
Risk & Volatility
SD is the less volatile stock with a 0.86 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. SD currently trades 98.1% 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 … | SDSandRidge Energy,… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.74x | 0.86x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $6.90 | $17.87 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.77 | $8.81 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +47.8% | +98.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 51.2 | 58.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 44K | 252K |
Analyst Outlook
SD is the only dividend payer here at 11.10% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | SDSandRidge Energy,… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 23 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +11.1% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 2 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $1.95 |
| 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 | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | 100 | 307.77 | +207.8% |
| SandRidge Energy, I… (SD) | 100 | 1,962.13 | +1862.1% |
SandRidge Energy, I… (SD) returned +336% over 5 years vs Empire Petroleum Co… (EP)'s +106%. A $10,000 investment in SD 5 years ago would be worth $43,649 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | $0.00 | $44M | — |
| SandRidge Energy, I… (SD) | $769M | $125M | -83.7% |
Empire Petroleum Corporation's revenue grew from $0M (2015) to $44M (2024) — a 0.0% CAGR. SandRidge Energy, Inc.'s revenue grew from $769M (2015) to $125M (2024) — a -18.3% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | -2.9% | -36.8% | -1174.4% |
| SandRidge Energy, I… (SD) | -4.8% | 50.3% | +1145.1% |
SandRidge Energy, Inc.'s net margin went from -5% (2015) to 50% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 5 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| SandRidge Energy, I… (SD) | 14.6 | 6.9 | -52.7% |
SandRidge Energy, Inc. has traded in a 3x–15x P/E range over 5 years; current trailing P/E is ~10x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | -0.08 | -0.54 | -572.5% |
| SandRidge Energy, I… (SD) | -7.08 | 1.69 | +123.9% |
Empire Petroleum Corporation's EPS grew from $-0.08 (2015) to $-0.54 (2024). SandRidge Energy, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-7.08 (2015) to $1.69 (2024).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Empire Petroleum Corporation generated $-48M FCF in 2024 (-185% vs 2021). SandRidge Energy, Inc. generated $48M FCF in 2024 (-52% vs 2021).
EP vs SD: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is EP or SD a better buy right now?
SandRidge Energy, Inc. (SD) offers the better valuation at 10.4x trailing P/E (10.4x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate SandRidge Energy, Inc. (SD) a "Hold" — based on 23 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 SD?
Over the past 5 years, SandRidge Energy, Inc. (SD) delivered a total return of +336.5%, compared to +106.3% for Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP). A $10,000 investment in SD five years ago would be worth approximately $44K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: EP returned +1079% versus SD's +13.5%. 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 SD?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), SandRidge Energy, Inc. (SD) is the lower-risk stock at 0.86β versus Empire Petroleum Corporation's 1.74β — meaning EP is approximately 103% more volatile than SD relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — EP or SD?
SandRidge Energy, Inc. (SD) is the more profitable company, earning 50.3% net margin versus -36.8% for Empire Petroleum Corporation — meaning it keeps 50.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: SD leads at 26.5% versus -31.0% for EP. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — SD leads at 36.7%, 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 SD?
In this comparison, SD (11.1% yield) pays a dividend. EP does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is EP or SD better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, SandRidge Energy, Inc. (SD) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.86), 11.1% 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 (SD: +13.5%, 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 SD?
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; SD is a small-cap deep-value stock. SD 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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