Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation (PNRG) vs California Resources Corporation (CRC) 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 | PNRG | 90.0% revenue growth vs CRC's 5.1% |
| Value | PNRG | Lower P/E (35.7x vs 45.3x) |
| Quality / Margins | PNRG | 12.9% net margin vs CRC's 10.9% |
| Stability / Safety | CRC | Beta 1.26 vs PNRG's 1.40 |
| Dividends | CRC | 2.4% yield; 3-year raise streak; PNRG pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CRC | +35.4% vs PNRG's +1.5% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | PNRG | 7.6% ROA vs CRC's 5.7%, ROIC 28.5% vs 14.5% |
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
PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation is an independent oil and natural gas company that acquires, develops, and produces oil and gas properties primarily in Oklahoma and Texas. It generates revenue through oil and gas production from its operated wells — approximately 710 active wells — and non-operating interests in about 822 additional wells, supplemented by contract services for third-party drilling operations. The company's competitive advantage lies in its established operational footprint in prolific basins and its dual revenue model combining production with well-servicing capabilities.
California Resources Corporation is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company focused exclusively on California. It generates revenue primarily from crude oil sales (~60%), natural gas and natural gas liquids (~25%), and electricity generation from its cogeneration facilities (~15%). The company's key advantage is its extensive mineral acreage position—approximately 1.9 million net acres—in a mature, high-barrier-to-entry California market with established infrastructure.
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
CRC leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Risk & Volatility). PNRG leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CRC is the larger business by revenue, generating $3.5B annually — 18.0x PNRG's $196M. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 12.9% (PNRG) to 10.9% (CRC). On growth, CRC holds the edge at -11.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | PNRGPrimeEnergy Resou… | CRCCalifornia Resour… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $196M | $3.5B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $120M | $1.4B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $25M | $384M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $20M | $545M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +25.4% | +37.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +16.8% | +21.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +12.9% | +10.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +10.0% | +15.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -33.0% | -11.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -50.2% | -79.9% |
Valuation Metrics
At 9.1x trailing earnings, PNRG trades at a 29% valuation discount to CRC's 12.7x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, PNRG's 2.3x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than CRC's 4761.3x.
| Metric | PNRGPrimeEnergy Resou… | CRCCalifornia Resour… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $327M | $5.36T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $332M | $5.36T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 9.06x | 12.74x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 35.71x | 45.26x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 0.12x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 2.28x | 4761.27x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.40x | 1812.76x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 2.47x | 1.35x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 9999.00x |
Profitability & Efficiency
PNRG delivers a 11.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $12 in annual profit, vs $11 for CRC. PNRG carries lower financial leverage with a 0.04x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to CRC's 0.35x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), PNRG scores 8/9 vs CRC's 3/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | PNRGPrimeEnergy Resou… | CRCCalifornia Resour… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +11.8% | +11.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +7.6% | +5.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +28.5% | +14.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +27.6% | +13.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 8 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.04x | 0.35x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $6M | $851M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $3M | $372M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $8M | $1.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 14.38x | 5.95x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in PNRG five years ago would be worth $41,437 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $24,361 for CRC. Over the past 12 months, CRC leads with a +35.4% total return vs PNRG's +1.5%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors PNRG at 29.5% vs CRC's 14.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | PNRGPrimeEnergy Resou… | CRCCalifornia Resour… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +11.1% | +26.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +1.5% | +35.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +117.4% | +49.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +314.4% | +143.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +301.3% | +1037.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +29.5% | +14.3% |
Risk & Volatility
CRC is the less volatile stock with a 1.26 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than PNRG's 1.40 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. CRC currently trades 98.0% from its 52-week high vs PNRG's 83.5% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | PNRGPrimeEnergy Resou… | CRCCalifornia Resour… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.40x | 1.26x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $238.20 | $60.03 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $126.40 | $30.97 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +83.5% | +98.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 52.1 | 61.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 49K | 696K |
Analyst Outlook
CRC is the only dividend payer here at 2.36% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | PNRGPrimeEnergy Resou… | CRCCalifornia Resour… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $65.71 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 23 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +2.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 3 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $1.39 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +4.1% | +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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| PrimeEnergy Resourc… (PNRG) | 100 | 123.55 | +23.6% |
| California Resource… (CRC) | 100 | 843.06 | +743.1% |
PrimeEnergy Resourc… (PNRG) returned +314% over 5 years vs California Resource… (CRC)'s +144%. A $10,000 investment in PNRG 5 years ago would be worth $41,437 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PrimeEnergy Resourc… (PNRG) | $75M | $234M | +212.5% |
| California Resource… (CRC) | $2.4B | $3.0B | +25.8% |
PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation's revenue grew from $75M (2015) to $234M (2024) — a 13.5% CAGR. California Resources Corporation's revenue grew from $2.4B (2015) to $3.0B (2024) — a 2.6% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PrimeEnergy Resourc… (PNRG) | -17.1% | 23.7% | +238.7% |
| California Resource… (CRC) | -151.2% | 12.7% | +108.4% |
PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation's net margin went from -17% (2015) to 24% (2024). California Resources Corporation's net margin went from -151% (2015) to 13% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PrimeEnergy Resourc… (PNRG) | 3.6 | 10 | +177.8% |
| California Resource… (CRC) | 2.5 | 11.2 | +348.0% |
PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation has traded in a 4x–121x P/E range over 7 years; current trailing P/E is ~9x. California Resources Corporation has traded in a 1x–11x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~13x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| PrimeEnergy Resourc… (PNRG) | -5.53 | 21.95 | +496.9% |
| California Resource… (CRC) | -92.79 | 4.62 | +105.0% |
PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation's EPS grew from $-5.53 (2015) to $21.95 (2024). California Resources Corporation's EPS grew from $-92.79 (2015) to $4.62 (2024).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation generated $-3M FCF in 2024 (-142% vs 2021). California Resources Corporation generated $350M FCF in 2024 (-25% vs 2021).
PNRG vs CRC: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is PNRG or CRC a better buy right now?
PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation (PNRG) offers the better valuation at 9.1x trailing P/E (35.7x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate California Resources Corporation (CRC) a "Buy" — 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 has the better valuation — PNRG or CRC?
On trailing P/E, PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation (PNRG) is the cheapest at 9.1x versus California Resources Corporation at 12.7x. On forward P/E, PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation is actually cheaper at 35.7x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — PNRG or CRC?
Over the past 5 years, PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation (PNRG) delivered a total return of +314.4%, compared to +143.6% for California Resources Corporation (CRC). A $10,000 investment in PNRG five years ago would be worth approximately $41K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CRC returned +1037% versus PNRG's +301.3%. 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 — PNRG or CRC?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), California Resources Corporation (CRC) is the lower-risk stock at 1.26β versus PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation's 1.40β — meaning PNRG is approximately 11% more volatile than CRC relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation (PNRG) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 4% versus 35% for California Resources Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — PNRG or CRC?
PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation (PNRG) is the more profitable company, earning 23.7% net margin versus 12.7% for California Resources Corporation — meaning it keeps 23.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: PNRG leads at 29.4% versus 22.0% for CRC. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CRC leads at 40.6%, 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 PNRG or CRC more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation (PNRG) trades at 35.7x forward P/E versus 45.3x for California Resources Corporation — 9.5x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis.
07Which pays a better dividend — PNRG or CRC?
In this comparison, CRC (2.4% yield) pays a dividend. PNRG does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
08Is PNRG or CRC better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, California Resources Corporation (CRC) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.26), 2.4% yield, +1037% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (CRC: +1037%, PNRG: +301.3%), 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 PNRG and CRC?
Both stocks operate in the Energy sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. CRC pays a dividend while PNRG 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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