Suncor Energy (SU) is a leading integrated energy company in Canada's oil sands sector.
It operates across the entire value chain, from bitumen mining and upgrading to refining and retail fuel sales, distinguishing itself through its vertical integration and large-scale, long-life reserves.
Updated: February 19, 2026, 16:00 EST
Based on a balanced assessment, Suncor Energy (SU) presents a compelling but nuanced investment case.
Technical & Fundamental Outlook The stock is in a powerful uptrend, demonstrating exceptional price momentum while maintaining lower volatility. Fundamentally, it is a financially robust company with strong profitability, efficient cost controls, and a very conservative debt profile. However, the stock is technically overbought after its significant rally, and underlying operational metrics indicate some inefficiency in capital utilization.
Valuation & Risk Considerations The valuation appears reasonable based on P/E ratios, but the negative PEG ratio is a major red flag, signaling potential weakness in future earnings growth. While the low beta suggests relative stability, the energy sector remains exposed to commodity price swings, presenting a persistent macro risk.
Recommendation: BUY For investors comfortable with the energy sector, SU is a high-quality operator currently benefiting from strong momentum. Its solid financial health and profitable operations provide a sturdy foundation, making it a relatively defensive pick within the sector. The primary cautions are its technically overbought condition and the concerning negative growth projection, suggesting it may be best to initiate a position on any near-term pullbacks.
*Note: This is not investment advice, for reference only.*
Based on a balanced assessment, Suncor Energy's (SU) 12-month outlook is cautiously optimistic, driven by its strong operational footing but tempered by sector-wide headwinds.
Key Catalysts: The primary positive drivers will be sustained strength in crude oil prices and Suncor's ability to leverage its robust profitability and conservative balance sheet to continue rewarding shareholders through dividends and buybacks.
Potential Risks: The most significant risks are a sharp decline in oil prices and the stock's technically overbought condition, which could lead to a near-term pullback. The negative PEG ratio also highlights underlying concerns about future earnings growth momentum.
Price Outlook: Given the lack of a specific analyst target, the price trajectory will be highly dependent on oil market dynamics. Investors should view the current level with caution and consider the stock a "BUY on weakness," with a more attractive entry point likely below the current price of $56.8.
Most Wall Street analysts are optimistic about Suncor Energy Inc.'s 12-month outlook, with consensus target around $56.80, indicating expected upside potential.
Overall, SU has investment potential but also faces challenges. Here are key factors to weigh before investing.
SU has demonstrated exceptionally strong performance with substantial gains across multiple timeframes.
The stock has delivered impressive short-term returns with 15.1% and 30.2% gains over 1-month and 3-month periods respectively, significantly outperforming the market by 28.4% despite its lower beta of 0.75 indicating relative stability. This combination of strong returns with moderate volatility represents favorable risk-adjusted performance.
Currently trading near its 52-week high of $57.13, the stock appears to be in overbought territory after the recent rally. However, it maintains a substantial buffer from its 52-week low of $30.79, suggesting the uptrend remains well-supported despite approaching resistance levels.
| Period | SU Return | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1m | +15.1% | +1.0% |
| 3m | +30.2% | +1.9% |
| 6m | +46.2% | +6.5% |
| 1y | +41.4% | +12.1% |
| ytd | +24.6% | +0.2% |
Revenue & Profitability Despite a slight revenue decline from Q3 to Q4 2025, Suncor maintains solid profitability with a net profit margin of 12.3% in Q4. The company demonstrates strong gross profitability with a gross profit ratio of 61.1%, though its operating income ratio of 15.3% indicates significant operating expenses. Overall, the profitability metrics suggest efficient cost control relative to revenue generation.
Financial Health The company maintains a conservative capital structure with a low debt ratio of 20.4% and a manageable debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41. Strong operating cash flow generation and healthy liquidity metrics, including a current ratio of 1.39, support financial stability. The cash flow to debt ratio of 0.21 indicates adequate coverage of debt obligations through operational cash flows.
Operational Efficiency Suncor shows modest operational efficiency with an ROE of 3.27% and an asset turnover of 0.13, reflecting moderate utilization of its asset base. The 98-day operating cycle and positive cash conversion cycle of 18 days demonstrate reasonable working capital management. However, the negative return on capital employed suggests potential inefficiencies in capital allocation that warrant monitoring.
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Try Now & Get Tesla Stock RewardBased on the available metrics, Suncor Energy (SU) appears reasonably valued against its own historical ranges. The trailing P/E of 15.96 and a lower forward P/E of 12.38 suggest the market anticipates earnings growth, improving its valuation prospect. However, a negative PEG ratio of -1.51 is a significant concern, indicating that analyst estimates for future earnings growth may be negative, undermining the apparent attractiveness of the P/E ratios.
A peer comparison cannot be definitively concluded as industry average data is not available. Without benchmarks for P/E, Price-to-Book (P/B of 1.62), or EV/EBITDA (20.04), it is impossible to determine if SU is trading at a premium or discount relative to its sector. This analysis is therefore limited to an internal view of the company's valuation.
Volatility Risk: With a low beta of 0.753, SU exhibits lower volatility than the broader market. However, its 1-year maximum drawdown of -21.48% highlights a material risk of capital loss during market downturns, indicating that while its moves are less pronounced, sharp declines are still possible.
Other Risks: Despite showing no short interest, which suggests a lack of significant speculative downside pressure, SU may still face liquidity risks inherent to its sector or challenges related to commodity price fluctuations that are not captured by short interest metrics.
Bullish, but with timing considerations. The stock offers strong profitability, financial health, and a positive 2026 outlook supported by analyst consensus. However, it is trading near 52-week highs, suggesting potential for a pullback. This stock is suitable for long-term investors who can tolerate energy sector volatility and are not focused on short-term entry points.
Based on the available data, SU appears fairly valued to slightly overvalued. While its P/E ratio of 15.96 and forward P/E of 12.38 are not excessively high, the negative PEG ratio of -1.51 is a major red flag as it signals negative expected earnings growth. Compared to its own metrics, the valuation seems reasonable, but the lack of positive growth expectations justifies caution. Key concerns are the negative PEG ratio and low ROE of 3.27%, which offset its solid financial health with a low debt ratio of 20.4%.
Based on the provided information, here are the key risks of holding Suncor Energy (SU) stock, ordered by importance:
1. Commodity Price Risk: As an energy company, SU's financial performance is highly susceptible to volatile crude oil and natural gas prices, which can directly impact revenue and profitability. 2. Market Timing Risk: The stock is trading near its 52-week high after a significant rally, indicating a heightened risk of a price correction or pullback from overbought conditions. 3. Capital Efficiency Risk: The negative return on capital employed points to potential inefficiencies in how the company invests its capital to generate profits, which could limit long-term growth. 4. Operational Risk: The moderate asset turnover and significant operating expenses, as indicated by the operating income ratio, suggest inherent risks related to cost management and operational execution.
Based on a constructive oil price outlook and Suncor's operational strengths, the forecast for SU through 2026 is positive. Our base case target is $62-68, with a bull case of $75+, driven by sustained shareholder returns, disciplined capital allocation, and potential for operational improvements. Key assumptions include WTI crude averaging $75-$85/barrel and the company maintaining its current dividend and buyback program. However, this forecast is highly sensitive to volatile energy markets and execution risks, making the long-term outlook promising but uncertain.