Mizuho analyst Paul Sankey expanded his coverage of the E&P, or exploration and production, sector with the initiation of seven U.S.-focused, liquids-weighted E&Ps. Sankey initiated Concho Resources (CXO), Continental Resources (CLR), and Diamondback Energy (FANG) with Buy ratings, and Cimarex Energy Company (XEC), Encana Corporation (ECA), Parsley Energy (PE), and WPX Energy (WPX) with Neutral ratings. The analyst views each of these names as quality operators at varying stages in the transition to "Renaissance E&P." He believes "sustainable cash return growth is the key to making E&Ps competitive, not just relative to their history, but to the broader market," and sees his three Buy-rated names as the furthest along this process.

Stifel raised the firm's price target on Diamondback Energy to $229 from $224 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The firm is updating its commodity estimates ahead of Q1 earnings to reflect strip prices through 2026 and revising its production and capital forecasts to reflect discussions with management, the analyst tells investors. Despite elevated valuations, oil and gas macro tailwinds continue to support sector outperformance, the firm adds.

Truist raised the firm's price target on Diamondback Energy to $250 from $248 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. The firm sees the company's Q1 production as sequentially flat, while its moderately sequentially lower capital spend will return slightly lower free cash flows given the decline in quarterly commodity prices, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Truist adds however that Diamondback Energy is the only "oily" E&P in its coverage universe with higher 2021-2023 cumulative average production that will only improve as Endeavor fills strategic whitespace with a potential near-term close.