Critical Survey: APA (NASDAQ:APA) & Columbine Valley Resources (OTCMKTS:TRXO)

APA (NASDAQ:APA) and Columbine Valley Resources (OTCMKTS:TRXO) are both oils/energy companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, risk, valuation, profitability and analyst recommendations.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

83.0% of APA shares are held by institutional investors. 1.3% of APA shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 18.4% of Columbine Valley Resources shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Risk and Volatility

APA has a beta of 3.16, meaning that its share price is 216% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Columbine Valley Resources has a beta of -49.51, meaning that its share price is 5,051% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for APA and Columbine Valley Resources, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
APA	4	10	4	1	2.11
Columbine Valley Resources	0	0	0	0	0.00

APA currently has a consensus price target of $30.55, suggesting a potential upside of 22.94%. Given APA’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe APA is more favorable than Columbine Valley Resources.

Profitability

This table compares APA and Columbine Valley Resources’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
APA	24.36%	27.86%	7.99%
Columbine Valley Resources	N/A	N/A	N/A

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares APA and Columbine Valley Resources”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
APA	$9.19 billion	1.00	$2.86 billion	$7.08	3.51
Columbine Valley Resources	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

APA has higher revenue and earnings than Columbine Valley Resources.

Summary

APA beats Columbine Valley Resources on 10 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About APA

APA Corporation, an independent energy company, explores for, develops, and produces natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids. It has oil and gas operations in the United States, Egypt, and North Sea. The company also has exploration and appraisal activities in Suriname, as well as holds interests in projects located in Uruguay and internationally. APA Corporation was incorporated in 1954 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

About Columbine Valley Resources

Columbine Valley Resources, Inc. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and gas properties in the United States. The company owns various properties, which are primarily located in the Rocky Mountain region of Wyoming, as well as Nebraska. Columbine Valley Resources, Inc. is headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado.