Viper Energy Inc shares fell by 5.23% today, crossing below the 5-day SMA, as the broader market showed strength with the Nasdaq-100 up 0.69% and the S&P 500 up 0.67%.
The decline follows Nemes Rush Group's complete exit from its position in Viper Energy, liquidating 319,503 shares valued at approximately $12.18 million. This move reflects a cautious outlook on the company's future performance, especially as Viper Energy has underperformed the S&P 500 over the past year, down 20% compared to the index's 15.5% gain. Despite producing over 108,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and generating significant cash flow, the company reported a net loss due to non-cash impairment charges, raising concerns about its profitability model.
This exit by a significant investor highlights the ongoing volatility in energy stocks and suggests a lack of confidence in Viper Energy's future earnings potential, which could further impact its stock performance.
Wall Street analysts forecast VNOM stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for VNOM is 51.08 USD with a low forecast of 38.00 USD and a high forecast of 64.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
14 Analyst Rating
Wall Street analysts forecast VNOM stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for VNOM is 51.08 USD with a low forecast of 38.00 USD and a high forecast of 64.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
13 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 40.300
Low
38.00
Averages
51.08
High
64.00
Current: 40.300
Low
38.00
Averages
51.08
High
64.00
Morgan Stanley
Devin McDermott
Overweight
downgrade
$45 -> $44
2026-01-23
Reason
Morgan Stanley
Devin McDermott
Price Target
$45 -> $44
AI Analysis
2026-01-23
downgrade
Overweight
Reason
Morgan Stanley analyst Devin McDermott lowered the firm's price target on Viper Energy to $44 from $45 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm marked its 2026-27 oil price deck for strip as of January 7 in conjunction with its Q4 preview for the E&Ps, oil majors and Canadian producers. The firm expects "fairly clean" Q4 operational updates but lighter cash flow from price realizations, the analyst tells investors in the preview.
Barclays
Betty Jiang
Overweight
downgrade
$60 -> $54
2026-01-21
Reason
Barclays
Betty Jiang
Price Target
$60 -> $54
2026-01-21
downgrade
Overweight
Reason
Barclays analyst Betty Jiang lowered the firm's price target on Viper Energy to $54 from $60 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm adjusted ratings and targets in the exploration and production group as part of a Q4 preview. The upstream sector's cash return model "remains resilient" amid macro volatility, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Barclays see attractive opportunities in U.S. onshore. It tells investors to "tread carefully" through the near-term commodity uncertainty.
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BofA
Buy
maintain
$43 -> $46
2026-01-16
Reason
BofA
Price Target
$43 -> $46
2026-01-16
maintain
Buy
Reason
BofA raised the firm's price target on Viper Energy to $46 from $43 and keeps a Buy rating on the shares. For 2026, the firm remains cautious on the oil backdrop and continues to favor companies with resilient portfolios and low breakevens that fully cover capex and dividends in this environment, the analyst tells investors.
Mizuho
Outperform
maintain
$51 -> $52
2025-12-12
Reason
Mizuho
Price Target
$51 -> $52
2025-12-12
maintain
Outperform
Reason
Mizuho raised the firm's price target on Viper Energy to $52 from $51 and keeps an Outperform rating on the shares. The firm adjusted ratings and targets in the exploration and production group as part of its 2026 outlook. While sentiment for U.S. oil and gas names is negative on oil market oversupply and high gas storage, there is "underappreciated value" in the group, particularly in exploration and production on longer-term fundamentals that could start becoming realized in 2026, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Mizuho suggests a reallocation of risk toward oil E&Ps with a selective bias in gas stocks. It turned more neutral on refining.
About VNOM
Viper Energy, Inc. owns, acquires and exploits oil and natural gas properties in North America, with a focus on owning and acquiring mineral and royalty interests in oil-weighted basins, primarily the Permian Basin. The Company owns approximately 85,700 net royalty acres in the Permian Basin.
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.
