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DVN Outperforms Industry in a Month: How to Play the Stock Now?

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Key Takeaways

  • Devon Energy's stock rose 14% in a month, beating its industry, and sector's performances.
  • DVN projects 2025 output of 825,000-842,000 Boe/d, supported by multi-basin, high-margin assets.
  • DVN trades at 3.94X EV/EBITDA, well below the industry's 11.26X average, highlighting discounted valuation.

Devon Energy Corporation’s (DVN - Free Report) shares have gained 14% in a month, outperforming the Zacks Oil & Gas- Exploration and Production- United States industry’s return of 3% and the broader Zacks Oil and Energy sector’s decline of 2.6%. The company has also outperformed the S&P 500’s 1.6% return in the same time period.

Devon Energy benefits from its high-quality multi-basin assets, cost-management initiatives, debt management, and strategic investments to upgrade and expand its existing assets. Yet, the competitive oil and gas industry and fluctuating oil and gas prices are posing challenges to the company.

Another stock from the same industry, EQT Corporation (EQT - Free Report) , registered a 0.8% gain in the last month and its shares have gradually dropped from the 60.2% return in the past year.

Price Performance (1 month)

 

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While the one-month performance paints a positive picture for investors, looking at the one-year performance is crucial for a more comprehensive understanding. DVN’s stock has declined 13.8% in the past year, suggesting that it is on a gradual path to recovery.

Devon stock is trading above its 50-day simple moving average (SMA), signaling a bullish trend.

DVN’s 50-Day SMA

 

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The 50-day SMA is a key indicator for traders and analysts to identify support and resistance levels. It is considered particularly important as it is the first marker of a stock’s uptrend or downtrend.

Should you consider adding DVN stock to your portfolio only based on positive price movements? Let us delve deeper and find out the factors that can help investors decide whether it is a good entry point to add the DVN stock to their portfolio.

Devon Energy’s Multi-Basin Asset Boosts Performance

DVN operates a multi-basin portfolio with a focus on high-margin assets that offer strong long-term growth potential. The company benefits from a diversified commodity mix, maintaining balanced exposure across oil, natural gas and NGL production.
 
Supported by continued investments in higher-margin U.S. oil plays and stable base production, Devon projects total output of 825,000-842,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (Boe/d) in 2025. High-quality, low-cost assets allow the company to generate stable earnings.

Devon Energy holds assets capable of supporting sustainable production for many years, ensuring a steady supply of reliable and affordable energy for its customers. Devon’s existing reserves can assist it to maintain its production volumes for many years, while ongoing exploration efforts can help replenish volumes and expand reserves.

DVN’s Low-Cost Operation Boosts Margin

Devon’s low-cost operations enhance its margins, supported by ongoing efforts to lower drilling and completion expenses while optimizing its workforce for future growth. With a diversified commodity mix across oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids, the company actively pursues opportunities to expand its portfolio with additional high-quality resources.

Due to cost management, production costs, including taxes, averaged $11.75 per Boe in the second quarter of 2025, recording a year-over-year decline of 4.1%. The cost savings will continue to boost the company’s margins.

Devon’s Earnings Estimates Move Up

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 and 2026 earnings per share is showing increases of 4.36% and 4.48%, respectively, in the last 60 days.

 

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Another company operating in the same sector shows a bleak earnings estimate. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 and 2026 earnings per share for Occidental Petroleum (OXY - Free Report) has moved down 1.77% and 9.6%, respectively, in the past 60 days.

Devon Stock Returns Better Than Industry

The return on invested capital (“ROIC”) measures how well a company generates returns on the money it invests. ROIC is a key indicator of a company's profitability and operational efficiency. The ROIC of the company indicates that it is investing money more efficiently than its peers in the industry.

Devon’s ROIC has outperformed the industry average in the trailing 12 months. ROIC of DVN was 7.25% compared with the industry average of 6.84%.

 

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Occidental Petroleum’s ROIC is currently at 5.29%, which is lower than that of its industry.

DVN Stock Trades at a Discount

Devon’s shares are inexpensive on a relative basis, with its current trailing 12-month Enterprise Value/Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization (EV/EBITDA TTM) being 3.94X compared with its industry average of 11.26X.

 

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Like Devon, EQT Corp  is presently trading at 8.5X, marking a discount to its industry average.

Wrapping Up

Devon has a balanced exposure to oil, natural gas and NGL production, and its low-cost production structure boosts its margins. The contribution from Devon’s multi-basin assets generates ample free cash flow and assists the company in strengthening its balance sheet and increasing the value of its shareholders.

Devon is a high-quality stock with a strong ROIC and is trading at a discount. Yet, the competitive oil and gas industry and fluctuating oil and gas prices are posing challenges.

Those who already own this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock will do well to retain it in their portfolios.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.


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