Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) vs TXO Partners, L.P. (TXO) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | EP | 9.7% revenue growth vs TXO's -25.7% |
| Quality / Margins | TXO | 4.6% net margin vs EP's -46.5% |
| Stability / Safety | TXO | Beta 0.46 vs EP's 1.74 |
| Dividends | TXO | 18.9% yield; 5-year raise streak; EP pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | TXO | -25.5% vs EP's -52.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | TXO | 1.2% ROA vs EP's -14.1%, ROIC -0.8% 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.
TXO Partners is a conventional oil and gas partnership that acquires, develops, and exploits mature producing properties in North American basins. It generates revenue primarily from oil and natural gas liquids production — roughly 60% from oil and 40% from natural gas — through its working interests in established fields like the San Juan and Permian Basins. The partnership's competitive advantage lies in its focus on low-decline, conventional assets with predictable cash flows and its operational expertise in optimizing mature fields.
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
TXO leads in 5 of 6 categories — strongest in Financial Metrics and Valuation Metrics.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
TXO is the larger business by revenue, generating $364M annually — 9.8x EP's $37M. TXO is the more profitable business, keeping 4.6% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to EP's -46.5%. On growth, TXO holds the edge at +46.8% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | TXOTXO Partners, L.P. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $37M | $364M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$5M | $95M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$17M | $17M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$15M | -$146M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +47.7% | +35.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -43.9% | +0.5% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -46.5% | +4.6% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -40.7% | -40.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -13.9% | +46.8% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +8.3% | — |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | TXOTXO Partners, L.P. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $113M | $686M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $123M | $836M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -6.11x | 19.26x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 25.04x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 14.62x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.57x | 2.43x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.58x | 0.74x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
TXO delivers a 2.3% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $2 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 TXO's 0.26x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), TXO scores 4/9 vs EP's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | TXOTXO Partners, L.P. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -32.3% | +2.3% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -14.1% | +1.2% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -19.3% | -0.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -16.1% | -0.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.19x | 0.26x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $10M | $150M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2M | $7M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $12M | $157M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -12.46x | 2.16x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in EP five years ago would be worth $20,625 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $8,373 for TXO. Over the past 12 months, TXO leads with a -25.5% total return vs EP's -52.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors TXO at -8.6% vs EP's -36.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | TXOTXO Partners, L.P. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +8.6% | +13.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -52.2% | -25.5% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -74.6% | -23.6% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +106.3% | -16.3% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +1078.6% | -16.3% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -36.7% | -8.6% |
Risk & Volatility
TXO is the less volatile stock with a 0.46 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. TXO currently trades 61.9% 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 … | TXOTXO Partners, L.P. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.74x | 0.46x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $6.90 | $20.24 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.77 | $10.12 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +47.8% | +61.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 51.2 | 60.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 44K | 192K |
Analyst Outlook
TXO is the only dividend payer here at 18.87% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | EPEmpire Petroleum … | TXOTXO Partners, L.P. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Strong Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $18.50 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 2 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +18.9% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | 5 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $2.36 |
| 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 23 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) | 100 | 22.23 | -77.8% |
| TXO Partners, L.P. (TXO) | 101.95 | 53.32 | -47.7% |
Empire Petroleum Co… (EP) returned +106% over 5 years vs TXO Partners, L.P. (TXO)'s -16%. 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 | — |
| TXO Partners, L.P. (TXO) | $109M | $283M | +160.0% |
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% |
| TXO Partners, L.P. (TXO) | -150.1% | 8.3% | +105.5% |
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% |
| TXO Partners, L.P. (TXO) | -6.53 | 0.65 | +110.0% |
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). TXO Partners, L.P. generated $-156M FCF in 2024 (-7% vs 2021).
EP vs TXO: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is EP or TXO a better buy right now?
TXO Partners, L.P. (TXO) offers the better valuation at 19.3x trailing P/E (25.0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate TXO Partners, L.P. (TXO) a "Strong Buy" — based on 2 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 TXO?
Over the past 5 years, Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) delivered a total return of +106.3%, compared to -16.3% for TXO Partners, L.P. (TXO). 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 TXO's -16.3%. 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 TXO?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), TXO Partners, L.P. (TXO) is the lower-risk stock at 0.46β versus Empire Petroleum Corporation's 1.74β — meaning EP is approximately 276% more volatile than TXO relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 19% versus 26% for TXO Partners, L.P. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — EP or TXO?
TXO Partners, L.P. (TXO) is the more profitable company, earning 8.3% net margin versus -36.8% for Empire Petroleum Corporation — meaning it keeps 8.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: TXO leads at -2.4% versus -31.0% for EP. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — TXO leads at 28.3%, 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 TXO?
In this comparison, TXO (18.9% yield) pays a dividend. EP does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is EP or TXO better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, TXO Partners, L.P. (TXO) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.46), 18.9% 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 (TXO: -16.3%, 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 TXO?
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; TXO is a small-cap income-oriented stock. TXO 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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.