Head-To-Head Comparison: Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE) vs. Carbon Energy (OTCMKTS:CRBO)

Carbon Energy (OTCMKTS:CRBO) and Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings and dividends.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Carbon Energy and Vital Energy”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Carbon Energy	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Vital Energy	$1.55 billion	0.65	$695.08 million	$24.13	1.10

Vital Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Carbon Energy.

Profitability

This table compares Carbon Energy and Vital Energy’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Carbon Energy	N/A	N/A	N/A
Vital Energy	13.97%	11.58%	5.76%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

86.5% of Vital Energy shares are held by institutional investors. 7.1% of Carbon Energy shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 1.2% of Vital Energy shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Volatility & Risk

Carbon Energy has a beta of -1.68, meaning that its share price is 268% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Vital Energy has a beta of 3.17, meaning that its share price is 217% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for Carbon Energy and Vital Energy, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Carbon Energy	0	0	0	0	N/A
Vital Energy	3	4	4	0	2.09

Vital Energy has a consensus target price of $54.00, indicating a potential upside of 104.31%. Given Vital Energy’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Vital Energy is more favorable than Carbon Energy.

Summary

Vital Energy beats Carbon Energy on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Carbon Energy

Carbon Energy Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids properties in the United States. It focuses on conventional and unconventional reservoirs, including shale, tight sand, and coalbed methane located in the Appalachian, Illinois, and Ventura Basins. It owns working interests and royalty interests in wells located in California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as had leasehold positions. The company was formerly known as Carbon Natural Gas Company and changed its name to Carbon Energy Corporation in June 2018. Carbon Energy Corporation was founded in 2007 and is based in Denver, Colorado.

About Vital Energy

Vital Energy, Inc., an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and natural gas properties in the Permian Basin of West Texas, the United States. The company was formerly known as Laredo Petroleum, Inc. and changed its name to Vital Energy, Inc. in January 2023. Vital Energy, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.