UBS says this little known Mexican energy stock is primed to rally 30%

Vista Energy is well positioned for more growth ahead, according to UBS. The investment bank upgraded its rating on the stock to buy from neutral and increased its price target by $5 to $60, which implies nearly 32% upside from Thursday’s close. “Vista has been surprising to the upside on its production outlook, securing additional equipment to accelerate its development plan, adding even more wells,” analyst Tasso Vasconcellos wrote in a Thursday note to clients. “We believe its potential should become more evident from now on, as the company continues to execute its plan, reinforced by the successful track record.” Brent crude prices will also be supportive to this production increase. The bank sees the international oil benchmark averaging about $75 from the fourth quarter onward. It traded around $71 per barrel Friday. For Vista to break even, Brent would have to fall to about $50 per barrel. The upgrade comes comes as Vista has made efforts to increase production in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta oil deposit this year, expanding a partnership with SLB in June. A month before that, the company signed a contract with Nabors Industries to add a third drilling rig there, which was also scheduled to begin operations sometime in the second half. VIST YTD mountain VIST, year-to-date This year, shares have soared, rising more than 54%. Yet, Vasconcellos believes the market is undervaluing Vista’s production potential. Analysts in general are bullish on the name. Of the nine analysts covering the stock, seven have issued buy or strong buy ratings, LSEG data shows.