Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Forecast for FANG Earnings

Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FANG) – Analysts at Zacks Research lowered their FY2025 earnings per share estimates for shares of Diamondback Energy in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, January 28th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the oil and natural gas company will post earnings of $12.20 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $12.23. The consensus estimate for Diamondback Energy’s current full-year earnings is $15.49 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Diamondback Energy’s Q4 2025 earnings at $1.91 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $2.08 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $2.11 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $2.09 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $8.51 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $2.31 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.27 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.57 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.34 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $9.49 EPS.

Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, November 3rd. The oil and natural gas company reported $3.08 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.94 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $3.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.48 billion. Diamondback Energy had a net margin of 27.32% and a return on equity of 9.57%. Diamondback Energy’s revenue was up 48.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $3.19 earnings per share.

FANG has been the subject of a number of other reports. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Diamondback Energy from $169.00 to $171.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Diamondback Energy from $183.00 to $171.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Citigroup decreased their target price on Diamondback Energy from $180.00 to $178.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Susquehanna lowered their price target on Diamondback Energy to $188.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, October 20th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price objective on Diamondback Energy from $174.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $185.90.

Diamondback Energy Stock Performance

Diamondback Energy stock opened at $163.95 on Friday. Diamondback Energy has a 1-year low of $114.00 and a 1-year high of $169.87. The company has a current ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $46.95 billion, a PE ratio of 11.39 and a beta of 0.59. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $152.15 and its 200 day simple moving average is $146.33.

Diamondback Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, November 20th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 13th were paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, November 13th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Diamondback Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.80%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Diamondback Energy news, Director Charles Alvin Meloy sold 377,911 shares of Diamondback Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.61, for a total transaction of $52,382,243.71. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 1,044,864 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $144,828,599.04. This trade represents a 26.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.70% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Diamondback Energy

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Diamondback Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Diamondback Energy by 245.1% during the fourth quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 176 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Diamondback Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Diamondback Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Creekmur Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Diamondback Energy in the second quarter worth $28,000. 90.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about Diamondback Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Intraday momentum: Zacks published a note summarizing recent trading where FANG closed up ~1.8% in the latest session, reflecting near‑term buying interest that can support the share price. Zacks: Diamondback Energy Increases
• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley kept an Overweight rating on FANG even after trimming its price target to $171 (from $183), which signals continued institutional conviction in the name despite lower oil assumptions. InsiderMonkey: Morgan Stanley Target Cut
• Positive Sentiment: Consensus analyst tone remains constructive: an aggregate “Moderate Buy”/buy-leaning analyst consensus provides a supportive backdrop for the stock if macro and oil fundamentals hold. AmericanBankingNews: Moderate Buy
• Neutral Sentiment: Short interest data in the latest report appears invalid/zero (likely a reporting anomaly), so it offers no clear near‑term signal around bearish positioning. MarketBeat: FANG page
• Neutral Sentiment: Standalone comparison pieces and screening writeups (e.g., comparisons vs. smaller peers) are being published but are unlikely to move the stock materially on their own. AmericanBankingNews: Comparison Article
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut a wide range of EPS forecasts across multiple quarters and years (Q1–Q4 2026/2027 and FY2026/FY2027). Notable revisions: FY2026 down to ~$8.51 and FY2027 to ~$9.49, with multiple quarterly EPS cuts — a weaker earnings outlook that could cap upside and pressure valuation if other analysts follow. MarketBeat: Zacks estimate updates

About Diamondback Energy

Diamondback Energy, Inc (NASDAQ: FANG) is an independent oil and natural gas company focused on the development, exploration and production of unconventional resources in the Permian Basin. Headquartered in Midland, Texas, the company concentrates its operations in the core Midland and Delaware sub‑basins of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, where it pursues contiguous acreage positions to support repeatable drilling programs.

Diamondback’s activities span the upstream value chain, including leasehold acquisition, well planning, drilling, completion and production optimization.