Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (MGY) vs Matador Resources Company (MTDR) 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 | MGY | 7.2% revenue growth vs MTDR's 6.2% |
| Value | MTDR | Lower P/E (11.6x vs 17.0x) |
| Quality / Margins | MGY | 24.8% net margin vs MTDR's 20.5% |
| Stability / Safety | MGY | Beta 1.15 vs MTDR's 1.40, lower leverage |
| Dividends | MTDR | 2.5% yield, 5-year raise streak, vs MGY's 1.9% |
| Momentum (1Y) | MGY | +21.5% vs MTDR's +1.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | MGY | 11.2% ROA vs MTDR's 7.3%, ROIC 19.2% vs 11.8% |
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
Magnolia Oil & Gas is an independent exploration and production company focused on acquiring and developing oil and natural gas reserves in South Texas. It generates revenue primarily from oil sales (roughly 60% of total), natural gas liquids (25%), and natural gas (15%), with production concentrated in the Eagle Ford Shale and Austin Chalk formations. The company's competitive advantage lies in its low-cost, high-margin acreage position in the prolific Karnes County and Giddings Field areas, which allows for efficient development and strong returns even in volatile commodity price environments.
Matador Resources is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company focused on shale plays in the Delaware Basin and other U.S. regions. It generates revenue primarily from oil sales (~60% of total revenue) and natural gas sales (~40%), supplemented by midstream services for third parties. The company's competitive advantage lies in its concentrated, high-quality acreage position in the prolific Delaware Basin — particularly in the Wolfcamp and Bone Spring formations — which provides low-cost, high-return drilling opportunities.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
MGY leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). MTDR leads in 1 (Analyst Outlook). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
MTDR is the larger business by revenue, generating $3.7B annually — 2.8x MGY's $1.3B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 24.8% (MGY) to 20.5% (MTDR). On growth, MGY holds the edge at -2.8% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | MGYMagnolia Oil & Ga… | MTDRMatador Resources… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.3B | $3.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $877M | $2.4B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $325M | $759M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $393M | $830M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +36.9% | +88.8% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +33.5% | +33.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +24.8% | +20.5% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +30.0% | +22.5% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -2.8% | -13.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -15.9% | -9.4% |
Valuation Metrics
At 8.4x trailing earnings, MTDR trades at a 41% valuation discount to MGY's 14.3x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, MGY's 0.3x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than MTDR's 3.5x.
| Metric | MGYMagnolia Oil & Ga… | MTDRMatador Resources… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $153M | $6.5B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $303M | $8.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 14.34x | 8.44x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 17.04x | 11.65x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 0.30x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 0.33x | 3.54x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.12x | 1.75x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.64x | 1.07x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 0.35x | 2.67x |
Profitability & Efficiency
MGY delivers a 5.5% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $5 in annual profit, vs $13 for MTDR. MGY carries lower financial leverage with a 0.21x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to MTDR's 0.35x.
| Metric | MGYMagnolia Oil & Ga… | MTDRMatador Resources… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +5.5% | +12.7% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +11.2% | +7.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +19.2% | +11.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +20.6% | +12.8% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.21x | 0.35x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $150M | $2.1B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $260M | $15M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $410M | $2.1B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 31.93x | 5.96x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in MTDR five years ago would be worth $24,960 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $24,913 for MGY. Over the past 12 months, MGY leads with a +21.5% total return vs MTDR's +1.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors MGY at 10.5% vs MTDR's 0.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MGYMagnolia Oil & Ga… | MTDRMatador Resources… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +24.5% | +19.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +21.5% | +1.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +34.8% | +1.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +149.1% | +149.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +200.5% | +240.8% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +10.5% | +0.4% |
Risk & Volatility
MGY is the less volatile stock with a 1.15 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than MTDR's 1.40 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. MGY currently trades 99.5% from its 52-week high vs MTDR's 95.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | MGYMagnolia Oil & Ga… | MTDRMatador Resources… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.15x | 1.40x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $27.95 | $53.84 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $19.09 | $35.19 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +99.5% | +95.5% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 64.6 | 58.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 2.4M | 1.4M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MGY as "Buy" and MTDR as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 10.3% upside for MTDR (target: $57) vs -0.7% for MGY (target: $28). For income investors, MTDR offers the higher dividend yield at 2.55% vs MGY's 1.88%.
| Metric | MGYMagnolia Oil & Ga… | MTDRMatador Resources… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $27.63 | $56.67 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 25 | 41 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +1.9% | +2.5% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 4 | 5 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $0.52 | $1.31 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +100.0% | +0.9% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnolia Oil & Gas … (MGY) | 100 | 325.92 | +225.9% |
| Matador Resources C… (MTDR) | 100 | 433.66 | +333.7% |
Matador Resources C… (MTDR) returned +150% over 5 years vs Magnolia Oil & Gas … (MGY)'s +149%. A $10,000 investment in MTDR 5 years ago would be worth $24,960 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnolia Oil & Gas … (MGY) | $111M | $1.3B | +1086.3% |
| Matador Resources C… (MTDR) | $264M | $3.7B | +1297.9% |
Matador Resources Company's revenue grew from $264M (2016) to $3.7B (2025) — a 34.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnolia Oil & Gas … (MGY) | 19.4% | 27.8% | +43.7% |
| Matador Resources C… (MTDR) | -36.8% | 20.5% | +155.8% |
Matador Resources Company's net margin went from -37% (2016) to 21% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnolia Oil & Gas … (MGY) | 4.4 | 12.1 | +175.0% |
| Matador Resources C… (MTDR) | 25.3 | 7 | -72.3% |
Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation has traded in a 4x–45x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~14x. Matador Resources Company has traded in a 6x–25x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~8x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Magnolia Oil & Gas … (MGY) | 0.29 | 1.94 | +569.0% |
| Matador Resources C… (MTDR) | -1.07 | 6.09 | +669.2% |
Matador Resources Company's EPS grew from $-1.07 (2016) to $6.09 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation generated $432M FCF in 2024 (-22% vs 2021). Matador Resources Company generated $2B FCF in 2025 (+658% vs 2021).
MGY vs MTDR: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MGY or MTDR a better buy right now?
Matador Resources Company (MTDR) offers the better valuation at 8.4x trailing P/E (11.6x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (MGY) a "Buy" — based on 25 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 has the better valuation — MGY or MTDR?
On trailing P/E, Matador Resources Company (MTDR) is the cheapest at 8.4x versus Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation at 14.3x. On forward P/E, Matador Resources Company is actually cheaper at 11.6x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — MGY or MTDR?
Over the past 5 years, Matador Resources Company (MTDR) delivered a total return of +149.6%, compared to +149.1% for Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (MGY). A $10,000 investment in MTDR five years ago would be worth approximately $25K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MTDR returned +240.8% versus MGY's +200.5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — MGY or MTDR?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (MGY) is the lower-risk stock at 1.15β versus Matador Resources Company's 1.40β — meaning MTDR is approximately 21% more volatile than MGY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (MGY) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 21% versus 35% for Matador Resources Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — MGY or MTDR?
Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (MGY) is the more profitable company, earning 27.8% net margin versus 20.5% for Matador Resources Company — meaning it keeps 27.8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MGY leads at 38.9% versus 33.2% for MTDR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — MTDR leads at 88.8%, 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.
06Is MGY or MTDR more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Matador Resources Company (MTDR) trades at 11.6x forward P/E versus 17.0x for Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation — 5.4x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for MTDR: 10.3% to $56.67.
07Which pays a better dividend — MGY or MTDR?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends. Matador Resources Company (MTDR) offers the highest yield at 2.5%, versus 1.9% for Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (MGY).
08Is MGY or MTDR better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (MGY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.15), 1.9% yield, +200.5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (MGY: +200.5%, MTDR: +240.8%), 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.
09What are the main differences between MGY and MTDR?
Both stocks operate in the Energy sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. 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.