What happened
Shares of WildHorse Resource Development Corp. (NYSE: WRD) fell more than 13% by 11 a.m. EDT on Wednesday after the Eagle Ford shale driller posted disappointing second-quarter results.
So what
WildHorse Resource Development reported mixed second-quarter results. On the downside, the company's adjusted earnings came in at just $39.1 million, or $0.39 per share, missing analysts' expectations by $0.07 per share. Driving the underwhelming result were lower realized natural gas prices and higher depletion, depreciation, and amortization expenses related to an asset sale.
Image source: Getty Images.
Production, on the other hand, was up a jaw-dropping 107% year over year due to the strength of the 28 Eagle Ford wells WildHorse brought on line during the second quarter. That operational success led CEO Jay Graham to say that the company "delivered excellent results" in the second quarter. Furthermore, he noted that the strong showing had the company "currently on track to meet or exceed the midpoint of our annual guidance" for production.
Now what
Add WildHorse Resources to the long list of drillers that missed analysts' overly optimistic expectations for earnings in the second quarter. In WildHorse's case, the miss overshadowed strong production results, which set the company up for a good year. However, it's worth noting that WildHorse is fueling its high-octane growth with debt -- it's outspending cash flow to expand, which puts the oil stock in high-risk territory. Investors might want to consider these financially stronger options instead.
