Reviewing Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) & Gulfport Energy (NYSE:GPOR)

Golar LNG (NASDAQ:GLNG) and Gulfport Energy (NYSE:GPOR) are both mid-cap energy companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation, earnings, risk and dividends.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

92.2% of Golar LNG shares are held by institutional investors. 0.0% of Golar LNG shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of Gulfport Energy shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Golar LNG and Gulfport Energy’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Golar LNG	31.27%	8.91%	3.75%
Gulfport Energy	32.28%	21.87%	13.08%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Golar LNG and Gulfport Energy”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Golar LNG	$393.52 million	12.88	$65.68 million	$1.60	31.27
Gulfport Energy	$1.38 billion	2.06	$427.81 million	$25.00	6.44

Gulfport Energy has higher revenue and earnings than Golar LNG. Gulfport Energy is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Golar LNG, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Golar LNG and Gulfport Energy, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Golar LNG	0	2	4	1	2.86
Gulfport Energy	1	9	5	1	2.38

Golar LNG currently has a consensus price target of $64.25, indicating a potential upside of 28.42%. Gulfport Energy has a consensus price target of $210.00, indicating a potential upside of 30.49%. Given Gulfport Energy’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Gulfport Energy is more favorable than Golar LNG.

Risk & Volatility

Golar LNG has a beta of 0.13, meaning that its share price is 87% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Gulfport Energy has a beta of 0.56, meaning that its share price is 44% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Gulfport Energy beats Golar LNG on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Golar LNG

Golar LNG Limited designs, converts, owns, and operates marine infrastructure for the liquefaction of natural gas. The company operates through three segments: FLNG, Corporate and Other, and Shipping. It engages in the regasification, storage, and offloading of liquefied natural gas (LNG); operation of floating liquefaction natural gas (FLNG) vessels or projects; transportation of LNG carriers; and vessel management activities. Golar LNG Limited was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

About Gulfport Energy

Gulfport Energy Corporation engages in the exploration, development, acquisition, production of natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids (NGL) in the United States. Its principal properties include Utica Shale covering an area approximately 187,000 net reservoir acres primarily located in Eastern Ohio; and SCOOP covering an area approximately 74,000 net reservoir acres primarily located in Garvin, Grady, and Stephens. As of December 31, 2021, it had 3.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas equivalent to proved reserves; and proved undeveloped reserves comprising 8 MMbbl oil and 22 MMBbl NGL, and 1,550 Bcf natural gas. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.