Par Pacific (NYSE:PARR) vs. Carbon Energy (OTCMKTS:CRBOD) Head to Head Contrast

Par Pacific (NYSE:PARR) and Carbon Energy (OTCMKTS:CRBOD) are both small-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends and risk.

Volatility and Risk

Par Pacific has a beta of 1.99, suggesting that its share price is 99% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Carbon Energy has a beta of 0.15, suggesting that its share price is 85% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Par Pacific and Carbon Energy, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Par Pacific	0	6	2	0	2.25
Carbon Energy	0	0	0	0	N/A

Par Pacific currently has a consensus price target of $30.00, indicating a potential upside of 68.07%. Given Par Pacific’s higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Par Pacific is more favorable than Carbon Energy.

Profitability

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

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Par Pacific	5.43%	26.40%	8.51%
Carbon Energy	-38.38%	-8.44%	-2.43%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Par Pacific and Carbon Energy”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Par Pacific	$8.76 billion	0.12	$728.64 million	$7.99	2.23
Carbon Energy	$116.63 million	0.00	$1.10 million	N/A	N/A

Par Pacific has higher revenue and earnings than Carbon Energy.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

92.2% of Par Pacific shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 10.5% of Carbon Energy shares are held by institutional investors. 4.4% of Par Pacific shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 7.1% of Carbon Energy shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Par Pacific beats Carbon Energy on 10 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

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.

About Carbon Energy

Carbon Energy Corporation, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids properties in the United States. It focuses on conventional and unconventional reservoirs, including shale, tight sand, and coalbed methane located in the Appalachian, Illinois, and Ventura Basins. As of December 31, 2018, it owned working interests in 7,100 net wells and royalty interests in approximately 900 wells located in California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, as well as had leasehold positions in approximately 340,700 net developed acres and approximately 1,319,200 net undeveloped acres. The company was formerly known as Carbon Natural Gas Company and changed its name to Carbon Energy Corporation in June 2018. Carbon Energy Corporation was founded in 2007 and is based in Denver, Colorado.