Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG) Raised to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued on Thursday, Zacks reports.

FANG has been the subject of several other reports. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating on shares of Diamondback Energy in a research note on Thursday, September 17th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $215.00 price target (up from $205.00) on shares of Diamondback Energy in a research note on Sunday, October 11th. Roth Capital increased their price objective on shares of Diamondback Energy from $205.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on Diamondback Energy from $215.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Diamondback Energy from $221.00 to $220.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 10th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $228.29.

Diamondback Energy Trading Down 0.3%

NASDAQ:FANG opened at $178.96 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $195.72 and its 200 day moving average is $189.95. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.11 billion, a PE ratio of 24.48 and a beta of 0.49. Diamondback Energy has a 12 month low of $139.41 and a 12 month high of $216.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25.

Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 2nd. The oil and natural gas company reported $5.86 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $5.72 by $0.14. Diamondback Energy had a net margin of 11.03% and a return on equity of 11.99%. The business had revenue of $5.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.60 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.08 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 38.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Diamondback Energy will post 22.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Diamondback Energy news, Director Travis D. Stice sold 75,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $204.31, for a total value of $15,323,250.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 49,727 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,159,723.37. This represents a 60.13% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Charles Meloy sold 33,333 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.74, for a total value of $6,124,605.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 759,864 shares in the company, valued at approximately $139,617,411.36. This represents a 4.20% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Company insiders own 0.64% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Diamondback Energy in the first quarter valued at $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in shares of Diamondback Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Diamondback Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $32,000. Burkett Financial Services LLC acquired a new stake in Diamondback Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Global Assets Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Diamondback Energy during the 1st quarter valued at about $40,000. 90.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Diamondback Energy News

Here are the key news stories impacting Diamondback Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Diamondback raised its dividend by 7.3%, adding to the income case for the stock. Article: Diamondback Just Raised Its Dividend 7.3%
• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target to $260 and maintained a Buy rating, signaling substantial potential upside in the analyst’s view. Article: UBS Group Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Diamondback Energy
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added FANG to its #1 (Strong Buy) rankings for income, value, and overall stock selection. These screen-based endorsements may support sentiment, though they are not guarantees of performance. Article: New Strong Buy Stocks for November 6th
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised its 2026 production outlook and highlighted disciplined spending, improving Barnett well economics, and recovery technology as part of its Permian growth strategy. Article: FANG Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Capital Discipline and Permian Growth
• Neutral Sentiment: Diamondback said it will reinvest its Viper Energy distributions in Viper equity, a capital-allocation decision that increases its Viper exposure but does not itself represent a cash payout to FANG shareholders. Article: Viper Energy Adopts Distribution Reinvestment Plan
• Neutral Sentiment: Other recent coverage described analyst opinions on Diamondback as mixed, tempering the positive signal from UBS’s target increase. Article: Analysts’ Opinions Are Mixed on These Energy Stocks

Diamondback Energy Company Profile

Diamondback Energy is an independent oil and natural gas company focused on the development and production of energy resources in the Permian Basin, primarily in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. Its operations include exploration, drilling and production.

The company produces crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its activities are concentrated in the Midland and Delaware Basin regions, where it develops oil and gas properties and related reserves.

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Midland, Texas, Diamondback has expanded its Permian Basin operations over time, including through acquisitions.