U.S. Upstream M&A Market Rebounds
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 28 2026
0mins
Should l Buy SM?
Source: Newsfilter
- Market Recovery: According to Enverus, the U.S. upstream M&A market reached $23.5 billion in announced deals in Q4 2025, pushing full-year activity to $65 billion, indicating a recovery driven by private equity teams and international buyers.
- International Buyer Activity: International investments in U.S. upstream markets soared to $7.4 billion in 2025, with $6 billion in Q4, primarily targeting Gulf of Mexico and DJ Basin assets, reflecting intensified competition for limited resources.
- Major Transactions: The largest deal in Q4 was the merger between SM Energy and Civitas Resources, involving significant holdings in both the Permian and DJ Basins, highlighting a shift towards non-core regional opportunities.
- Future Outlook: Enverus expects active upstream M&A in 2026, supported by private capital and sustained international interest, indicating a market shift towards gas-weighted plays and non-core regional opportunities.
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Analyst Views on SM
Wall Street analysts forecast SM stock price to fall
8 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 32.130
Low
23.00
Averages
30.00
High
42.00
Current: 32.130
Low
23.00
Averages
30.00
High
42.00
About SM
SM Energy Company is an independent energy company engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs) in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Utah. The Company's Permian Basin assets cover approximately 250,000 net acres. The Permian Basin is a large sedimentary basin in western Texas and southeastern New Mexico, United States, noted for its petroleum, natural gas, and potassium deposits. The Company's South Texas assets combine the prolific Eagle Ford natural gas play with the high liquids content Austin Chalk for more than 155,000 net acres. Located in far South Texas, its Maverick Basin is a Cretaceous-aged foreland basin. Located predominantly in the core, over-pressured oil window of the region, the Uinta Basin adds substantial scale with approximately 63,300 net acres and high oil-content production. The Company's Denver–Julesburg (DJ) Basin assets span approximately 238,000 net acres.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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