Prairie Operating Co. PROP is set to release first-quarter 2026 results on May 14, after market close. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is 15 cents per share on revenues of $87.2 million.
Let’s delve into the factors that might have influenced the oil and gas operator’s results for the March quarter. But it’s worth taking a look at PROP’s previous-quarter performance first.
Highlights of Previous Quarter Earnings & Surprise History
In the last reported quarter, the company, dedicated to acquiring and developing assets in the DJ Basin, beat the consensus mark on operational scale-up. Prairie Operating Co. had reported adjusted EPS of 32 cents, topping the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny. However, revenues of $83 million missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by some 26.5% due to weak natural gas pricing.
PROP’s earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters and beat in the other, with the average negative surprise being 171.1%.
Prairie Operating Co. Price and EPS Surprise
Prairie Operating Co. price-eps-surprise | Prairie Operating Co. Quote
Trend in Estimate Revision
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the first-quarter bottom line has remained unchanged in the past seven days. The estimated figure indicates an 104.3% increase year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues, meanwhile, suggests a 541.5% surge from the year-ago period.
Factors to Consider
Prairie entered the first quarter of 2026 with much stronger operating momentum after a major 2025 scale-up. Production exited 2025 at about 28,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (Boe/d), above its 2026 average production guidance of 25,500-27,500 Boe/d, supported by newly added wells, including three wells in the Simpson pad in Weld County that came online in January 2026. The Bayswater assets were fully integrated, while 2025 revenues reached $241.6 million, or about $315 million including Bayswater. This larger production base, 73% liquids mix, and hedge protection near $60-$64 per barrel oil likely supported March quarter earnings visibility.
On a bearish note, higher financing and non-cash charges may have pressured first-quarter earnings, even if operations improved. PROP ended 2025 with only $20,000 of cash and $366 million drawn on its credit facility, after funding the $602.75 million Bayswater acquisition and other deals. For 2026, management guided $33-$35 million of net interest expense and a $65 million non-cash loss tied to fair-value adjustments. These costs could limit the benefit of stronger production and EBITDA when first-quarter earnings are announced.
What Does Our Model Say?
The proven Zacks model does not conclusively show that Prairie Operating Co. is likely to beat estimates in the first quarter. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of beating estimates. But that’s not the case here.
You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Earnings ESP: PROP has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at 15 cents per share each.
Zacks Rank: Prairie Operating Co. currently carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).
Stocks to Consider
While an earnings beat looks uncertain for Prairie Operating Co., here are some firms that you may want to consider on the basis of our model:
Keysight Technologies KEYS has an Earnings ESP of +0.86% and a Zacks Rank #1. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on May 19.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 earnings of Keysight Technologies indicates 25.1% growth. Valued at nearly $62 billion, Keysight Technologies is up 121.6% in a year.
Hasbro HAS has an Earnings ESP of +5.81% and a Zacks Rank #2. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on May 20.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 earnings of Hasbro indicates 3.6% growth. Valued at around $13.8 billion, Hasbro is up 49.2% in a year.
Advance Auto Parts AAP has an Earnings ESP of +11.18% and a Zacks Rank #2. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on May 21.
Advance Auto Parts beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, with the average being 56%. Valued at around $3.4 billion, Advance Auto Parts has surged 68.2% in a year.
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Hasbro, Inc. (HAS): Free Stock Analysis Report
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Prairie Operating Co. (PROP): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).