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INDICATIVE · SAMPLE DATA
TLW59

Tullow Oil PLC

Oil & Gas Exploration and ProductionVerified

Tullow Oil's capital structure is highly leveraged, with total liabilities of $3.53 billion and total equity of -$252.9 million, resulting in a negative debt-to-equity ratio of -8.93. The company's liquidity position is constrained, with a current ratio of 0.52 and cash and equivalents of $332.2 million, which is insufficient to cover its long-term debt of $2.26 billion. Free cash flow of $51.2 million is modest relative to its capital structure, limiting its ability to service debt or fund growth without external financing. Profitability metrics are mixed. Gross profit of $247.3 million and operating income of $199.9 million reflect strong upstream performance, but net income of $6.5 million is minimal, and return on equity is negative at -2.57%. Return on assets is also weak at 0.2%, below the industry median for exploration and production firms. These figures suggest operational efficiency is not translating into strong returns for shareholders. Geographically, Tullow's revenue is concentrated in Africa, particularly in Kenya and Uganda, where it holds key oil and gas assets. The company's exposure to these regions is significant, with limited diversification into other markets. This concentration increases vulnerability to regional geopolitical and regulatory risks, including delays in infrastructure development and production licensing. Growth trajectory is constrained by capital expenditure of -$195.6 million and limited free cash flow. While the company has maintained production levels, there is no indication of significant new project development or reserve additions in the near term. Analysts have assigned a mean price target of $13.86, with a median of $11.65, but the wide range from $1.00 to $35.00 reflects uncertainty in the company's future performance. Risk factors include high leverage, negative equity, and limited liquidity. The risk assessment flags a negative net cash position after subtracting total debt, which increases the likelihood of refinancing risk. Dilution risk is currently low, but the company's negative equity and high debt levels could necessitate equity issuance in the future, particularly if cash flow does not improve. Recent events include ongoing exploration activities in Kenya and Uganda, as well as continued efforts to secure infrastructure financing for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. The company has also been navigating regulatory and environmental challenges in its operating regions. No major recent filings or transcripts indicate significant changes in strategy or operations.

30-day price · TLW+4.64 (+39.3%)
Low$10.86High$19.42Close$16.44As of26 May, 00:00 UTC
Profile
CompanyTullow Oil PLC
TickerTLW.L
SectorEnergy
BusinessEnergy - Fossil Fuels
Industry groupEnergy - Fossil Fuels
IndustryOil & Gas Exploration and Production
AI analysis

Business. Tullow Oil PLC is an oil and gas exploration and production company operating primarily in Africa and South America, generating revenue through the extraction, production, and sale of hydrocarbons.

Classification. Tullow Oil is classified under the Energy - Fossil Fuels business sector and the Oil & Gas Exploration and Production industry, with a classification confidence of 0.92.

Tullow Oil's capital structure is highly leveraged, with total liabilities of $3.53 billion and total equity of -$252.9 million, resulting in a negative debt-to-equity ratio of -8.93. The company's liquidity position is constrained, with a current ratio of 0.52 and cash and equivalents of $332.2 million, which is insufficient to cover its long-term debt of $2.26 billion. Free cash flow of $51.2 million is modest relative to its capital structure, limiting its ability to service debt or fund growth without external financing. Profitability metrics are mixed. Gross profit of $247.3 million and operating income of $199.9 million reflect strong upstream performance, but net income of $6.5 million is minimal, and return on equity is negative at -2.57%. Return on assets is also weak at 0.2%, below the industry median for exploration and production firms. These figures suggest operational efficiency is not translating into strong returns for shareholders. Geographically, Tullow's revenue is concentrated in Africa, particularly in Kenya and Uganda, where it holds key oil and gas assets. The company's exposure to these regions is significant, with limited diversification into other markets. This concentration increases vulnerability to regional geopolitical and regulatory risks, including delays in infrastructure development and production licensing. Growth trajectory is constrained by capital expenditure of -$195.6 million and limited free cash flow. While the company has maintained production levels, there is no indication of significant new project development or reserve additions in the near term. Analysts have assigned a mean price target of $13.86, with a median of $11.65, but the wide range from $1.00 to $35.00 reflects uncertainty in the company's future performance. Risk factors include high leverage, negative equity, and limited liquidity. The risk assessment flags a negative net cash position after subtracting total debt, which increases the likelihood of refinancing risk. Dilution risk is currently low, but the company's negative equity and high debt levels could necessitate equity issuance in the future, particularly if cash flow does not improve. Recent events include ongoing exploration activities in Kenya and Uganda, as well as continued efforts to secure infrastructure financing for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline. The company has also been navigating regulatory and environmental challenges in its operating regions. No major recent filings or transcripts indicate significant changes in strategy or operations.
Key takeaways
  • Tullow Oil is highly leveraged with negative equity, increasing financial risk.
  • Free cash flow is insufficient to service long-term debt, necessitating external financing.
  • Profitability is weak, with low return on equity and return on assets.
  • Revenue is concentrated in Africa, increasing exposure to regional risks.
  • Analysts are divided on price targets, reflecting uncertainty in the company's future.
  • --
  • ## RATIONALES
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Financial snapshot
PeriodHA-latest
CurrencyUSD
Revenue$851.2M
Gross profit$247.3M
Operating income$199.9M
Net income$6.5M
R&D
SG&A
D&A
SBC
Operating cash flow$334.3M
CapEx-$195.6M
Free cash flow$51.2M
Total assets$3.28B
Total liabilities$3.53B
Total equity-$252.9M
Cash & equivalents$332.2M
Long-term debt$2.26B
Valuation
Market price
Market cap
Enterprise value
P/E
Reported non-GAAP P/E
EV/Revenue
EV/Op income
EV/OCF
P/B
P/Tangible book
Tangible book-$252.9M
Net cash-$1.93B
Current ratio0.5
Debt/Equity-8.9
ROA0.2%
ROE-2.6%
Cash conversion51.4%
CapEx/Revenue-23.0%
SBC/Revenue
Asset intensity
Dilution ratio0.0%
Risk assessment
Dilution riskLow
Liquidity riskMedium
  • Net cash is negative after subtracting total debt.
Industry benchmarks
Activity: Oil & Gas · cohort 244 companies
MetricTLWActivity
Op margin23.5%3.1% medp25 -5.4% · p75 18.8%top quartile
Net margin0.8%1.2% medp25 -8.4% · p75 13.0%below median
Gross margin29.1%22.4% medp25 5.3% · p75 48.3%above median
R&D / revenue2.5% medp25 2.5% · p75 2.5%
CapEx / revenue-23.0%-10.6% medp25 -36.2% · p75 -1.1%below median
Debt / equity-893.0%23.9% medp25 0.8% · p75 70.3%bottom quartile
Observations
IR observations
Mean price target13.86 USD
Median price target11.65 USD
High price target35.00 USD
Low price target1.00 USD
Mean recommendation3.00 (1=strong buy, 5=strong sell)
Strong-buy count1.00
Buy count1.00
Hold count3.00
Sell count1.00
Strong-sell count1.00
Mean EPS estimate0.07 USD
Last actual EPS0.01 USD
Source data
Underlying data the analysis-pipeline pulls and audits. Fetch timestamps + content hashes show when each source was last refreshed.
Company fundamentalsperiod financials
no public URL
2026-05-25 01:01 UTC#7ad64eb2
Source: analysis-pipeline (hybrid)Generated: 2026-05-29 17:49 UTCJob: f3703893