10 Best Stocks to Buy According to Howard Marks’ Oaktree Capital Management

2. Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE)

Oaktree Capital Management’s Q4 Stake: $690.6 million

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 71

Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE) operates as an independent exploration and production company. It purchases, explores, and develops properties for the production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids.

On March 20, Benchmark analysts reiterated their Buy rating and $93 price target on Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE). The Benchmark team expects Expand Energy to produce an EPS of $1.69 and an EBITDA of $1.19 billion in the first quarter of 2025. These statistics are higher than the average forecasts of $1.59 EPS and $1.17 billion EBITDA.

The company posted fourth-quarter 2024 results that were above analyst forecasts, with earnings per share of $0.55, compared to $0.43. Revenue also topped estimates, totaling $2 billion versus an expected $1.85 billion. Expand Energy Corporation (NASDAQ:EXE) also plans to significantly decrease debt and increase shareholder returns in 2025, with the goal of reducing net debt to less than $4.5 billion by the end of the year.