Does Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRCH) Have A Volatile Share Price?

January 10, 2020

If you're interested in Torchlight Energy Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRCH), then you might want to consider its beta (a measure of share price volatility) in order to understand how the stock could impact your portfolio. Volatility is considered to be a measure of risk in modern finance theory. Investors may think of volatility as falling into two main categories. First, we have company specific volatility, which is the price gyrations of an individual stock. Holding at least 8 stocks can reduce this kind of risk across a portfolio. The second type is the broader market volatility, which you cannot diversify away, since it arises from macroeconomic factors which directly affects all the stocks on the market.

Some stocks are more sensitive to general market forces than others. Some investors use beta as a measure of how much a certain stock is impacted by market risk (volatility). While we should keep in mind that Warren Buffett has cautioned that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk', beta is still a useful factor to consider. To make good use of it you must first know that the beta of the overall market is one. A stock with a beta greater than one is more sensitive to broader market movements than a stock with a beta of less than one.

Check out our latest analysis for Torchlight Energy Resources

What does TRCH's beta value mean to investors?

Given that it has a beta of 1.99, we can surmise that the Torchlight Energy Resources share price has been fairly sensitive to market volatility (over the last 5 years). If this beta value holds true in the future, Torchlight Energy Resources shares are likely to rise more than the market when the market is going up, but fall faster when the market is going down. Beta is worth considering, but it's also important to consider whether Torchlight Energy Resources is growing earnings and revenue. You can take a look for yourself, below.

NasdaqCM:TRCH Income Statement, January 10th 2020

Does TRCH's size influence the expected beta?

Torchlight Energy Resources is a rather small company. It has a market capitalisation of US$72m, which means it is probably under the radar of most investors. It has a relatively high beta, suggesting it is fairly actively traded for a company of its size. Because it takes less capital to move the share price of a small company like this, when a stock this size is actively traded it is quite often more sensitive to market volatility than similar large companies.

What this means for you:

Beta only tells us that the Torchlight Energy Resources share price is sensitive to broader market movements. This could indicate that it is a high growth company, or is heavily influenced by sentiment because it is speculative. Alternatively, it could have operating leverage in its business model. Ultimately, beta is an interesting metric, but there's plenty more to learn. In order to fully understand whether TRCH is a good investment for you, we also need to consider important company-specific fundamentals such as Torchlight Energy Resources’s financial health and performance track record. I urge you to continue your research by taking a look at the following:

Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for TRCH’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for TRCH’s outlook.
Past Track Record: Has TRCH been consistently performing well irrespective of the ups and downs in the market? Go into more detail in the past performance analysis and take a look at the free visual representations of TRCH's historicals for more clarity.
Other Interesting Stocks: It's worth checking to see how TRCH measures up against other companies on valuation. You could start with this free list of prospective options.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

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