Antero Resources Q4 Earnings Miss Estimates, Revenues Increase Y/Y

Core Insights - Antero Resources reported Q4 2025 adjusted earnings of 42 cents per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 52 cents, and down from 58 cents in the same quarter last year [1][2][9] - Total revenues for the quarter were $1,412 million, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1,309 million, and up from $1,169 million year-over-year [1][3] Production Overview - Total production in Q4 was 323 billion cubic feet equivalent (Bcfe), an increase from 316 Bcfe a year ago, and above the estimate of 319 Bcfe [3] - Natural gas production accounted for 64% of total production, reaching 208 Bcf, a 6% increase from 196 Bcf year-over-year, slightly below the estimate of 210 Bcf [3] - Oil production decreased to 756 thousand barrels (MBbls), down 11% from 850 MBbls in the previous year, and below the estimate of 841 MBbls [4] - C2 Ethane production was 7,668 MBbls, a 10% decrease from 8,518 MBbls year-over-year, while C3+ NGLs production increased by 1% to 10,678 MBbls [4] Price Realizations - Weighted natural-gas-equivalent price realization was $3.97 per thousand cubic feet equivalent (Mcfe), up from $3.64 year-over-year [5] - Realized prices for natural gas rose 34% to $3.71 per Mcf from $2.77 a year ago [5] - Oil price realization was $45.99 per barrel (Bbl), down from $57.80 year-over-year [5] - Realized price for C3+ NGLs decreased to $35.41 per Bbl from $44.29, while C2 Ethane's realized price increased to $12.54 per Bbl from $10.31 [6] Operating Expenses - Total operating expenses rose to $1,122 million from $1,111 million in the previous year [7] - Average lease operating costs remained flat at 10 cents per Mcfe, while gathering and compression costs increased by 6% to 75 cents per Mcfe [7] - Transportation expenses rose 12% year-over-year to 67 cents per Mcfe, and processing costs increased by 6% to 90 cents per Mcfe [7] Capital Expenditures and Financials - Antero Resources spent $159 million on drilling and completion operations in Q4 [10] - As of December 31, 2025, the company had a long-term debt of $1.4 billion [10] Future Outlook - The company expects Q1 2026 production to average 3.8 Bcfe/d and net production for 2026 to be 4.1 Bcfe/d [11] - Drilling and completion capital for 2026 is projected to be $1 billion [11]