Critical Comparison: Viking Energy Group (OTCMKTS:VKIN) vs. Talos Energy (NYSE:TALO)

Talos Energy (NYSE:TALO) and Viking Energy Group (OTCMKTS:VKIN) are both energy companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, dividends and institutional ownership.

Profitability

This table compares Talos Energy and Viking Energy Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Talos Energy	-19.02%	-2.76%	-1.20%
Viking Energy Group	N/A	N/A	N/A

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Talos Energy and Viking Energy Group”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Talos Energy	$1.97 billion	1.08	-$76.39 million	($2.01)	-6.25
Viking Energy Group	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Viking Energy Group has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Talos Energy.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Talos Energy and Viking Energy Group, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Talos Energy	1	2	3	0	2.33
Viking Energy Group	0	0	0	0	0.00

Talos Energy currently has a consensus target price of $13.50, suggesting a potential upside of 7.44%. Given Talos Energy’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Talos Energy is more favorable than Viking Energy Group.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

89.4% of Talos Energy shares are held by institutional investors. 0.4% of Talos Energy shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 20.1% of Viking Energy Group shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Talos Energy beats Viking Energy Group on 5 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Talos Energy

Talos Energy Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States and Mexico. It also engages in the development of carbon capture and sequestration. Talos Energy Inc. was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

About Viking Energy Group

Viking Energy Group, Inc., an exploration and production company, engages in the acquisition and development of oil and natural gas properties in North America. The company operates through two segments, Oil and Gas Production and Power Generation. It manufactures and supplies power generation products, services, and custom energy solutions; clean-tech energy systems, including combined heat and power, tier 4 final diesel, and natural gas industrial engines, solar, wind, and storage; designs and assembles electrical control equipment, such as switch gear, synchronization and paralleling gear, distribution, bi-fuel, and complete power generation production controls; and clean energy and carbon-capture systems to generate clean electricity. The company also engages in developing, patent pending, electric transmission, and distribution of open conductor detection systems to detect a break in a transmission line, distribution line, or coupling failure. The company owns oil and gas leases in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Kansas. The company was formerly known as Viking Investments Group, Inc. and changed its name to Viking Energy Group, Inc. in March 2017. Viking Energy Group, Inc. was incorporated in 1989 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas. Viking Energy Group, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of Camber Energy, Inc.