W&T Offshore (NYSE:WTI – Get Free Report) and Zion Oil & Gas (OTCMKTS:ZNOG – Get Free Report) are both small-cap energy companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, risk, dividends, earnings and analyst recommendations.
Profitability
This table compares W&T Offshore and Zion Oil & Gas’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| W&T Offshore | -29.92% | N/A | -5.91% |
| Zion Oil & Gas | N/A | -19.89% | -18.12% |
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares W&T Offshore and Zion Oil & Gas”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| W&T Offshore | $501.46 million | 0.90 | -$150.06 million | ($1.01) | -3.00 |
| Zion Oil & Gas | N/A | N/A | -$7.34 million | ($1.77) | -0.20 |
Zion Oil & Gas has lower revenue, but higher earnings than W&T Offshore. W&T Offshore is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Zion Oil & Gas, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Volatility and Risk
W&T Offshore has a beta of 0.26, suggesting that its share price is 74% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Zion Oil & Gas has a beta of 0.38, suggesting that its share price is 62% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
42.9% of W&T Offshore shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 7.9% of Zion Oil & Gas shares are held by institutional investors. 33.6% of W&T Offshore shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.7% of Zion Oil & Gas shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for W&T Offshore and Zion Oil & Gas, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| W&T Offshore | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Zion Oil & Gas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Summary
W&T Offshore beats Zion Oil & Gas on 8 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.
About W&T Offshore
W&T Offshore, Inc. engages in the production, exploration, development, and acquisition of oil and natural gas properties. It focuses its operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The company was founded by Tracy W. Krohn in 1983 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.
About Zion Oil & Gas
Zion Oil & Gas, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an oil and gas exploration company in Israel. It holds a petroleum exploration license onshore Israel, the New Megiddo License 434 comprising an area of approximately 75,000 acres. The company was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
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