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GPORGulfport Energy CorporationBuy Now7.7·$162.97-2.18%
GPOR · Why this verdict

Why Gulfport Energy (GPOR) is rated BUY NOW

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictBUY NOW
Overall score7.7/10
ConfidenceHIGH
MacroNEUTRAL

Thesis pillars

Over 81% of production is concentrated in two geographic regions, representing a material single-point-of-failure risk if either basin experiences regulatory, pricing, or operational disruption—a risk the available data classifies as high severity.

Stable
Bear case
Expectation
Production concentration in the top two basins should move below 70% within 12 months as evidence of meaningful geographic diversification.

CounterHigh geographic focus can imply operational efficiency and deep-basin expertise; concentrated operators often achieve better per-unit economics in their chosen basins than broadly diversified peers.

With a return on equity of 34%, operating margins of 42%, a wide economic moat, and a Piotroski F-score of 8 out of 9, this is a genuinely high-quality business generating strong returns across multiple quality dimensions simultaneously.

Stable
Quality
Expectation
Return on equity should sustain above 20% for the next 4 quarters, confirming that the high-return profile is durable rather than a one-cycle phenomenon.

CounterGeographic concentration in two basins covering 81% of operations—identified as a significant risk—means the strong margins and returns could be impaired more severely than for diversified operators if either basin faces adverse conditions.

Revenue grew 32% year-over-year with peer-relative rankings on both value and growth metrics near the top of the industry, suggesting the company is expanding its output or realizing stronger pricing in its key markets.

Stable
Growth breakdown
Expectation
Revenue growth should remain above 10% year-over-year for at least 2 of the next 4 quarters, confirming the current expansion is durable.

CounterThe most recent quarter produced a 5.78% earnings miss, which may indicate that cost pressures or production challenges are beginning to emerge against the strong revenue backdrop.

Free cash flow represents only 25% of net income—flagged as a red flag in the quality assessment—meaning that roughly three-quarters of reported earnings do not materialize as spendable cash, a gap that deserves resolution before the earnings-based valuation fully holds.

Stable
Quality breakdown
Expectation
Free cash flow as a percentage of net income should recover above 60% for 2 consecutive quarters, demonstrating that the gap between reported and cash earnings is narrowing.

CounterFCF can temporarily lag net income during periods of rapid revenue growth due to working capital absorption; if the underlying cash dynamics normalize as expansion matures, the conversion rate could improve without signaling any fundamental problem.

Price has pulled back below the 200-day moving average, but the long-term average itself continues to trend higher at +0.4% per 30 days—a condition the available data explicitly characterizes as a pullback within an uptrend rather than a confirmed trend reversal.

Stable
Momentum breakdown
Expectation
Price should recover above the 200-day moving average within 6 months, with the long-term average slope remaining positive, confirming the uptrend has not broken.

CounterMomentum has fallen to 2.6, RSI is at 31, MACD is bearish, and the OBV is declining, creating conditions where a temporary pullback can become self-reinforcing and turn into a genuine breakdown if no catalyst materializes.

TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

The business demonstrates exceptional quality—a wide economic moat, 34% return on equity, 42% operating margins, and a Piotroski F-score of 8 out of 9—paired with 32% revenue growth and roughly 30% upside to the analyst price target; the primary near-term overhangs are weak price momentum and a free cash flow conversion shortfall that deserve monitoring before adding to the position.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

9.5/10data confidence 83%
ComponentSub-score
P/E9.9
P/S8.9
EV/EBITDA9.8
Fwd P/E9.9
Analyst target9.0
  • Forward P/E: 5.5x
  • Attractively valued

Quality

7.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE10.0
ROA10.0
Gross margin9.9
Op margin10.0
Net margin10.0
Current ratio2.2
FCF quality2.0
Moat8.2
Rule of 407.3
Piotroski F8.9
  • Excellent ROE: 34%
  • Strong margins: 42%
  • Earnings quality RED FLAG: 25% FCF/NI
  • Wide economic moat

Growth

10.0/10data confidence 33%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth10.0
  • Strong growth: 32% YoY

Momentum

5.6/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI4.5
MACD10.0
OBV10.0
MA position1.5
Volume2.2
  • Volume accumulation (rising OBV)
  • Below 200-MA, MA slope flat

Sentiment

7.3/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
Analyst rating7.0
Price target9.5
erm sentiment5.0
  • Analyst upside: 48%

Insider

7.4/10data confidence 50%
ComponentSub-score
materiality5.0
holder change9.8
  • No net insider activity — $0 (0.000% of mkt cap)
  • Institutions accumulating

Peer rank

7.2/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank6.7
quality rank9.1
growth rank7.9
  • Attractive P/E vs peers
  • Superior ROE vs peers

Technical

5.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger6.0
support resistance6.8
52w position4.4

Risk (lower is worse)

6.3/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest6.9
days to cover7.2
volatility5.6
put call0.0
implied vol6.0
beta10.0
debt equity8.2
  • Elevated put/call: 3.04
  • Concentration risks: 2 HIGH, 1 MED (10-K Item 1A — sized via position_sizing, validated via buy_confidence)

Catalyst

5.0/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history6.7
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg3.2
  • Strong earnings: 3B/1M

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Deep value: 64% margin of safety. Extreme undervaluation.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L4:PATH_A_DEEP_VALUE
Passed (9)
  • MOMENTUM:5.6>=5.5
  • ASYMMETRY:5.2>=1.5
  • INSIDER:OK
  • DEATH_CROSS:QUALITY_MOMENTUM_EXEMPT
  • NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:28d clear
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • SECTOR_CONCENTRATION_CAP:sector=Energy:6/10
Failed (0)

none

Warning (2)
  • DEATH_CROSS:quality=7.8>=7.5+momentum=5.6>=5.0 exempted
  • 8K_CSUITE_CHANGE:5.02 (officer departure/appointment)
Reward-to-Risk
5.21
Upside
+28.8%
Downside
5.5%
Sizing output
HALF

SetupRecovery Death cross but MACD improving, RSI 48

EdgeCatalyst-Driven Earnings in 28d with 3/4 beat streak

SuitabilityAggressive MCap $3.0B<$5B

Investment implication

The STRONG_BUY_NOW verdict reflects clean gate clearance against Growth at 10.0 and asymmetric R:R of 5.21.

The strongest dimensions are Growth at 10.0, Value at 9.5, and Quality at 7.8; the weakest are Catalyst at 5.0, Momentum at 5.6, and Technical at 5.7. The V9 engine cleared all gates with 2 warnings, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of 5.21 and an engine sizing output of HALF.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1High Quality Franchise Wide Moat

    Trip ifReturn on equity falls below 15% for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P2Strong Revenue Growth

    Trip ifRevenue growth falls below 10% year-over-year for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P3Fcf Earnings Conversion Gap

    Trip ifFree cash flow as a percentage of net income rises above 60% for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P4Geographic Concentration Overhang

    Trip ifProduction concentration in the top two basins falls below 70% for 2 consecutive reporting periods.

  • P5Price Pullback In Intact Uptrend

    Trip ifThe 200-day moving-average slope falls below 0% for 2 consecutive months, confirming the uptrend has reversed.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

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