Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG) Lowered to Hold Rating by Benchmark

Benchmark downgraded shares of Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Thursday morning, Marketbeat reports.

Several other analysts have also recently commented on FANG. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Diamondback Energy from $178.00 to $185.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Diamondback Energy in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $173.00 target price on shares of Diamondback Energy in a research report on Monday, January 19th. Scotiabank set a $175.00 price target on shares of Diamondback Energy in a report on Friday, January 16th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded Diamondback Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, December 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $189.00.

Diamondback Energy Stock Up 1.3%

NASDAQ FANG opened at $179.04 on Thursday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $160.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $150.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.50 billion, a PE ratio of 31.91 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.42 and a quick ratio of 0.40. Diamondback Energy has a fifty-two week low of $114.00 and a fifty-two week high of $183.36.

Diamondback Energy (NASDAQ:FANG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 23rd. The oil and natural gas company reported $1.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.00 by ($0.26). The company had revenue of $3.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.41 billion. Diamondback Energy had a return on equity of 8.08% and a net margin of 11.07%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.67 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Diamondback Energy will post 15.49 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Diamondback Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 12th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be issued a $1.05 dividend. This represents a $4.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 5th. This is an increase from Diamondback Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.00. Diamondback Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 71.30%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Diamondback Energy news, major shareholder Fang Holdings Lp Sgf sold 1,000,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.88, for a total value of $162,880,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 98,686,727 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,074,094,093.76. The trade was a 1.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Charles Alvin Meloy sold 60,605 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $161.12, for a total value of $9,764,677.60. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 982,006 shares in the company, valued at $158,220,806.72. This trade represents a 5.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.70% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Diamondback Energy

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Diamondback Energy by 74.1% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,239,837 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $487,045,000 after purchasing an additional 1,379,010 shares during the period. EnCap Energy Capital Fund XII L.P. purchased a new stake in Diamondback Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $169,342,000. Smead Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Diamondback Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $144,775,000. Capital Research Global Investors increased its holdings in shares of Diamondback Energy by 38.0% in the 3rd quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 3,798,812 shares of the oil and natural gas company’s stock worth $543,610,000 after purchasing an additional 1,046,398 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Encompass Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Diamondback Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $112,198,000. 90.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Diamondback Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: UBS raised its price target to $216 and kept a “buy” rating, implying about a 20.6% upside from the current level. UBS Raises Target
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays bumped its target to $185 and retains an “overweight” view, providing incremental analyst support. Barclays Raises Target
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen (via TipRanks) reiterated a Buy and $195 target, citing disciplined growth and low breakeven economics that support upside. TD Cowen Note
• Positive Sentiment: Sector momentum: coverage highlights Diamondback as a top energy name to watch amid 2026’s energy rally and stronger LNG dynamics — a tailwind for sentiment. Benzinga Rally Piece
• Positive Sentiment: Macro driver: Zacks flags oil above $75 and names FANG among four players to watch, reinforcing commodity-driven upside potential. Zacks Oil Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Piper Sandler slightly trimmed its target from $218 to $215 but left an “overweight” rating — a modest calibration rather than a directional change. Piper Sandler Adjustment
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest data shows zero shares (and a 0.0 days-to-cover figure), which appears anomalous and is unlikely to be meaningful until reconciled.
• Negative Sentiment: Benchmark downgraded FANG from “buy” to “hold,” removing some bullish conviction and adding a near-term headwind to sentiment. Benchmark Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Barron’s highlights recent downgrades within energy despite rising oil — a cautionary note that some analysts see limited further upside after the sector’s rally. Barron’s Downgrade Roundup

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.