MUR vs MTDR

For growth investors, Matador Resources Company (MTDR) is the stronger pick with 5.

1% revenue growth year-over-year, versus -9. 9% for Murphy Oil Corporation (MUR). Matador Resources Company (MTDR) offers the better valuation at 9. 1x trailing P/E (7. 7x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Matador Resources Company (MTDR) a "Buy" — based on 42 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.

On trailing P/E, Matador Resources Company (MTDR) is the cheapest at 9.

1x versus Murphy Oil Corporation at 53. 2x. On forward P/E, Matador Resources Company is actually cheaper at 7. 7x.

Over the past 5 years, Murphy Oil Corporation (MUR) delivered a total return of +120.

5%, compared to +105. 5% for Matador Resources Company (MTDR). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MTDR returned +201. 8% versus MUR's +66. 5%. 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), Matador Resources Company (MTDR) is the lower-risk stock at 0.

06β versus Murphy Oil Corporation's 0. 32β — meaning MUR is approximately 423% more volatile than MTDR relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Murphy Oil Corporation (MUR) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 42% versus 59% for Matador Resources Company — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Matador Resources Company (MTDR) is pulling ahead at 5.

1% versus -9. 9% for Murphy Oil Corporation (MUR). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Matador Resources Company grew EPS -14. 7% year-over-year, compared to -73. 3% for Murphy Oil Corporation. Over a 3-year CAGR, MTDR leads at 6. 1% 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.

Matador Resources Company (MTDR) is the more profitable company, earning 20.

8% net margin versus 3. 8% for Murphy Oil Corporation — meaning it keeps 20. 8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MTDR leads at 32. 5% versus 11. 1% for MUR. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — MUR leads at 71. 9%, 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.

On forward earnings alone, Matador Resources Company (MTDR) trades at 7.

7x forward P/E versus 10. 5x for Murphy Oil Corporation — 2. 7x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for MTDR: 22. 9% to $68. 29.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

Murphy Oil Corporation (MUR) offers the highest yield at 3. 4%, versus 2. 4% for Matador Resources Company (MTDR).

For long-horizon retirement investors, Matador Resources Company (MTDR) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.

06), 2. 4% yield, +201. 8% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (MTDR: +201. 8%, MUR: +66. 5%), 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: MUR is a small-cap income-oriented stock; MTDR 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.