Reviewing Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE) and SandRidge Energy (NYSE:SD)

SandRidge Energy (NYSE:SD) and Vital Energy (NYSE:VTLE) are both small-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, valuation, dividends, risk, profitability, earnings and institutional ownership.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for SandRidge Energy and Vital Energy, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
SandRidge Energy	0	0	0	0	0.00
Vital Energy	2	6	2	0	2.00

Vital Energy has a consensus price target of $45.90, indicating a potential upside of 33.45%. Given Vital Energy’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Vital Energy is more favorable than SandRidge Energy.

Risk & Volatility

SandRidge Energy has a beta of 2.06, meaning that its share price is 106% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Vital Energy has a beta of 3.12, meaning that its share price is 212% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

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

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
SandRidge Energy	39.25%	7.92%	6.34%
Vital Energy	25.09%	9.05%	4.65%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares SandRidge Energy and Vital Energy”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
SandRidge Energy	$148.64 million	3.04	$60.86 million	$1.28	9.50
Vital Energy	$1.55 billion	0.85	$695.08 million	$14.28	2.41

Vital Energy has higher revenue and earnings than SandRidge Energy. Vital Energy is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than SandRidge Energy, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

61.8% of SandRidge Energy shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 86.5% of Vital Energy shares are held by institutional investors. 1.2% of SandRidge Energy shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.2% of Vital Energy shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Vital Energy beats SandRidge Energy on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About SandRidge Energy

SandRidge Energy, Inc. engages in the acquisition, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States Mid-Continent. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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.