Oil prices rise from over 1-mth low with Russia crude buyer sanctions in focus
Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) reported strong second-quarter 2025 results on August 5, with production exceeding guidance while maintaining capital discipline. The company also improved its full-year outlook, raising production forecasts while lowering capital expenditure guidance.
Quarterly Performance Highlights
Devon Energy delivered production of 841,000 BOE per day in the second quarter, exceeding guidance by 3%, with oil production reaching 387,000 barrels per day. The company maintained its disciplined approach to capital spending, investing $932 million during the quarter, which was 7% below the midpoint guidance of $1,005 million.
"Our disciplined model creates significant value," the company stated in its presentation, highlighting the efficiency of its multi-basin portfolio.
As shown in the following chart detailing Devon’s quarterly performance:
The Delaware Basin remained the focus of Devon’s operations, with 110 operated wells brought online during the quarter. This concentrated program helped drive the company’s production beat while maintaining capital efficiency.
Devon has made significant progress in improving capital efficiency, particularly in the Delaware Basin, where it achieved a 12% improvement in 2025 year-to-date compared to fiscal year 2024. The company also reported cost reductions in the Williston Basin following its acquisition of Grayson Mill.
The following slide illustrates these operational improvements:
Financial Strength and Shareholder Returns
Devon reported core earnings of $0.84 per share for the second quarter, generating EBITDAX of $1,768 million and operating cash flow of $1,545 million. Free cash flow reached $589 million, enabling the company to return significant value to shareholders through $156 million in dividends and $249 million in share buybacks.
This represents a decline from the first quarter of 2025, when the company reported earnings per share of $1.21 and free cash flow of $1 billion, according to previous earnings reports.
The following chart details Devon’s financial performance and shareholder returns:
Devon continued to strengthen its balance sheet during the quarter, increasing cash balances by $525 million to $1.8 billion. The company’s net-debt-to-EBITDAX ratio declined to 0.9x, reflecting its commitment to maintaining financial discipline.
"Our significant financial strength and liquidity position us well to navigate market volatility while continuing to deliver value to shareholders," the company noted in its presentation.
The company’s financial position is summarized in the following slide:
Improved 2025 Outlook
In a significant update, Devon raised its 2025 oil production guidance while simultaneously lowering its capital expenditure forecast. The company now expects oil production of 384-390 thousand barrels per day, up from its previous guidance of 380 thousand barrels per day provided in November 2024.
At the same time, Devon reduced its full-year capital guidance to a midpoint of $3.7 billion, down $400 million from the preliminary guidance of $4.1 billion. This improved capital efficiency is expected to enhance free cash flow generation, with the company projecting $2.5 billion at $55 WTI oil prices, $3.0 billion at $65 WTI, and $3.7 billion at $75 WTI.
The company’s breakeven funding level remains below $45 WTI oil price, providing significant downside protection in a volatile commodity price environment.
As illustrated in the following chart showing Devon’s updated outlook:
Business Optimization Progress
Devon reported achieving 40% of its Business Optimization Plan ahead of schedule, realizing $400 million of annual benefits. The plan targets improvements across four key areas: capital efficiency, production optimization, commercial opportunities, and corporate cost reductions.
The company aims to deliver $1 billion in annual free cash flow improvements by the end of 2026, with varying timelines for each initiative. Commercial opportunities have seen the most progress at 67% achievement, while corporate cost reductions are at 20%.
The following scorecard details Devon’s progress on its business optimization initiatives:
The specific initiatives within each category are outlined in the following slide:
Forward-Looking Statements
Devon Energy remains focused on its strategic priorities, including operational excellence, maintaining an advantaged asset portfolio, financial strength, delivering value to shareholders, and cultivating a culture of success.
The company’s core values of integrity, relationships, courage, and results continue to guide its operations and strategic decisions. With its disciplined approach to capital allocation and focus on operational efficiency, Devon is well-positioned to navigate the evolving energy landscape.
"We continue to focus on delivering significant value through our disciplined model," the company stated. "By increasing production while lowering capital spending, we’re enhancing our free cash flow outlook and strengthening our ability to return value to shareholders."
Devon Energy’s stock closed at $31.94 on August 5, 2025, up 1.16% for the day. The stock has traded between $25.89 and $46.04 over the past 52 weeks.
Full presentation:
This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.