Head to Head Survey: Gran Tierra Energy (NYSE:GTE) & Battalion Oil (NYSE:BATL)

Gran Tierra Energy (NYSE:GTE) and Battalion Oil (NYSE:BATL) are both small-cap energy companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, valuation, dividends, analyst recommendations and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Gran Tierra Energy and Battalion Oil’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Gran Tierra Energy	7.17%	11.36%	3.28%
Battalion Oil	12.02%	-137.74%	-11.27%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Gran Tierra Energy and Battalion Oil”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Gran Tierra Energy	$621.68 million	0.25	-$6.29 million	($1.90)	-2.35
Battalion Oil	$185.21 million	0.11	-$3.05 million	($2.10)	-0.59

Battalion Oil has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Gran Tierra Energy. Gran Tierra Energy is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Battalion Oil, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

31.7% of Gran Tierra Energy shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 86.0% of Battalion Oil shares are held by institutional investors. 6.5% of Gran Tierra Energy shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 62.0% of Battalion Oil shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Volatility and Risk

Gran Tierra Energy has a beta of 0.86, indicating that its stock price is 14% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Battalion Oil has a beta of 0.81, indicating that its stock price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations for Gran Tierra Energy and Battalion Oil, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Gran Tierra Energy	0	1	1	0	2.50
Battalion Oil	0	0	0	0	0.00

Summary

Gran Tierra Energy beats Battalion Oil on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Gran Tierra Energy

Gran Tierra Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and production of oil and gas properties in Colombia and Ecuador. The company was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

About Battalion Oil

Battalion Oil Corporation, an independent energy company, engages in the acquisition, production, exploration, and development of onshore oil and natural gas assets in the United States. It holds interests in the Delaware Basin located in the counties of Pecos, Ward, Reeves, and Winkler, Texas. It serves independent marketers, and oil and natural gas and gas pipeline companies. The company was formerly known as Halcón Resources Corporation and changed its name to Battalion Oil Corporation in January 2020. Battalion Oil Corporation was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.