Head-To-Head Survey: Comstock Resources (NYSE:CRK) & Chord Energy (NASDAQ:CHRD)
by Jessica Moore · The Cerbat GemComstock Resources (NYSE:CRK – Get Free Report) and Chord Energy (NASDAQ:CHRD – Get Free Report) are both mid-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, dividends, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, risk and analyst recommendations.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
36.1% of Comstock Resources shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 97.8% of Chord Energy shares are owned by institutional investors. 2.0% of Comstock Resources shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of Chord Energy shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Profitability
This table compares Comstock Resources and Chord Energy’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Comstock Resources | -4.93% | -3.88% | -1.48% |
| Chord Energy | 19.74% | 12.88% | 8.91% |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for Comstock Resources and Chord Energy, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Comstock Resources | 3 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1.92 |
| Chord Energy | 0 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 3.00 |
Comstock Resources currently has a consensus target price of $11.78, indicating a potential downside of 39.97%. Chord Energy has a consensus target price of $180.25, indicating a potential upside of 47.02%. Given Chord Energy’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Chord Energy is more favorable than Comstock Resources.
Risk & Volatility
Comstock Resources has a beta of 0.51, indicating that its share price is 49% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Chord Energy has a beta of 0.99, indicating that its share price is 1% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Dividends
Comstock Resources pays an annual dividend of $0.50 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.5%. Chord Energy pays an annual dividend of $5.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.1%. Comstock Resources pays out -277.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Chord Energy pays out 25.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Comstock Resources and Chord Energy”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Comstock Resources | $1.30 billion | 4.42 | $211.12 million | ($0.18) | -109.00 |
| Chord Energy | $4.76 billion | 1.57 | $1.02 billion | $19.42 | 6.31 |
Chord Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Comstock Resources. Comstock Resources is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Chord Energy, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
Chord Energy beats Comstock Resources on 14 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Comstock Resources
Comstock Resources, Inc., an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of natural gas and oil properties in the United States. Its assets are located in the Haynesville and Bossier shales located in North Louisiana and East Texas. The company was incorporated in 1919 and is headquartered in Frisco, Texas. Comstock Resources, Inc. is a subsidiary of Arkoma Drilling, L.P.
About Chord Energy
Chord Energy Corporation operates as an independent exploration and production company in the United States. It acquires, explores, develops, and produces crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the Williston Basin. The company sells its products to refiners, marketers, and other purchasers that have access to nearby pipeline and rail facilities. The company was formerly known as Oasis Petroleum Inc. and changed its name to Chord Energy Corporation in July 2022. Chord Energy Corporation was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.