Contrasting Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) and Par Pacific (NYSE:PARR)

Antero Resources (NYSE:AR) and Par Pacific (NYSE:PARR) are both energy companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, profitability, dividends, valuation, earnings, risk and analyst recommendations.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Antero Resources and Par Pacific, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Antero Resources	0	8	9	2	2.68
Par Pacific	0	4	5	0	2.56

Antero Resources currently has a consensus price target of $42.44, suggesting a potential upside of 23.58%. Par Pacific has a consensus price target of $20.68, suggesting a potential upside of 56.97%. Given Par Pacific’s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Par Pacific is more favorable than Antero Resources.

Profitability

This table compares Antero Resources and Par Pacific’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Antero Resources	2.31%	0.74%	0.40%
Par Pacific	3.74%	10.06%	3.37%

Risk & Volatility

Antero Resources has a beta of 3.08, suggesting that its share price is 208% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Par Pacific has a beta of 1.64, suggesting that its share price is 64% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

83.0% of Antero Resources shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 92.2% of Par Pacific shares are owned by institutional investors. 6.7% of Antero Resources shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 4.4% of Par Pacific shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Antero Resources and Par Pacific”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Antero Resources	$4.12 billion	2.59	$57.23 million	$0.32	107.33
Par Pacific	$7.97 billion	0.09	$728.64 million	($0.62)	-21.25

Par Pacific has higher revenue and earnings than Antero Resources. Par Pacific is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Antero Resources, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Antero Resources beats Par Pacific on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Antero Resources

Antero Resources Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the development, production, exploration, and acquisition of natural gas, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and oil properties in the United States. It operates in three segments: Exploration and Development; Marketing; and Equity Method Investment in Antero Midstream. As of December 31, 2023, the company had approximately 515,000 net acres in the Appalachian Basin; and approximately 172,000 net acres in the Upper Devonian Shale. Its gathering and compression systems also comprise 631 miles of gas gathering pipelines in the Appalachian Basin. The company was formerly known as Antero Resources Appalachian Corporation and changed its name to Antero Resources Corporation in June 2013. Antero Resources Corporation was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

About Par Pacific

Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. owns and operates energy and infrastructure businesses. The company operates through Refining, Retail, and Logistics segments. The Refining segment owns and operates refineries that produce gasoline, distillate, asphalt, and other products primarily for consumption in Kapolei, Hawaii, Newcastle, Wyoming, Tacoma, Washington, and Billings, Montana. The Retail segment operates fuel retail outlets, which sell merchandise, such as soft drinks, prepared foods, and other sundries in Hawaii under the Hele, 76, and nomnom brands; and gasoline, diesel, and retail merchandise in Washington and Idaho. The Logistics segment owns and operates terminals, pipelines, single point mooring, marine vessels, storage facilities, loading and truck racks, and rail facilities to distribute ethanol, petroleum, and refined products throughout Hawaii, the United States West Coast, Washington, the Dakotas, and Wyoming; and a jet fuel storage facility and pipeline that serves Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. It also holds interest in refined products pipeline. In addition, the company owns and operates a marine terminal, a unit train-capable rail loading terminal; a truck rack, and a proprietary pipeline that serves Joint Base Lewis McChord. The company was formerly known as Par Petroleum Corporation and changed its name to Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. in October 2015. Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1984 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.