HUSA vs AMPY

For growth investors, Amplify Energy Corp.

(AMPY) is the stronger pick with -10. 6% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -29. 5% for Houston American Energy Corp. (HUSA). Amplify Energy Corp. (AMPY) offers the better valuation at 5. 3x trailing P/E (20. 1x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Amplify Energy Corp. (AMPY) a "Buy" — based on 5 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.

Over the past 5 years, Amplify Energy Corp.

(AMPY) delivered a total return of +81. 0%, compared to -86. 6% for Houston American Energy Corp. (HUSA). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AMPY returned +904. 1% versus HUSA's -92. 8%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Houston American Energy Corp.

(HUSA) is the lower-risk stock at -0. 53β versus Amplify Energy Corp. 's -0. 19β — meaning AMPY is approximately -65% more volatile than HUSA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Amplify Energy Corp. (AMPY) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 1% versus 2% for Houston American Energy Corp. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Amplify Energy Corp.

(AMPY) is pulling ahead at -10. 6% versus -29. 5% for Houston American Energy Corp. (HUSA). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Amplify Energy Corp. grew EPS 232. 3% year-over-year, compared to -145. 0% for Houston American Energy Corp.. Over a 3-year CAGR, AMPY leads at -16. 9% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Amplify Energy Corp.

(AMPY) is the more profitable company, earning 16. 7% net margin versus -1466. 7% for Houston American Energy Corp. — meaning it keeps 16. 7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AMPY leads at 29. 2% versus -1649. 6% for HUSA. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AMPY leads at 93. 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.

None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend.

All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Amplify Energy Corp.

(AMPY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β -0. 19), +904. 1% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AMPY: +904. 1%, HUSA: -92. 8%), 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.

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: HUSA is a small-cap quality compounder stock; AMPY is a small-cap deep-value stock. 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.