Dawson Geophysical Company (DWSN) Stock

Dawson Geophysical Company (DWSN) is a Energy stock trading at $3.39 (as of 2026-09-02), with a market capitalization of $106.21M and a trailing P/E of 29.2. Figures are sourced from first-party U.S. SEC EDGAR filings and market data.

Dawson Geophysical Company provides onshore seismic data acquisition and processing services in the United States and Canada. The company acquires and processes 2-D, 3-D, and multi-component seismic data for its clients, including oil and gas companies, and independent oil and gas operators, as well as providers of multi-client data libraries. Its seismic crews supply seismic data primarily to companies engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas on land and in land-to-water transition areas. The company also serves the potash mining industry. Dawson Geophysical Company was founded in 1952 and is headquartered in Midland, Texas. Dawson Geophysical Company is a subsidiary of Wilks Brothers, LLC.

Understand Dawson Geophysical Company: how it makes money

Dawson Geophysical acquires and processes 2-D and 3-D seismic surveys for onshore oil and gas explorers in the US and Canada, charging a service fee per line plus pass-through costs. Most revenue is fee-based, and the thin margin profile means profitability hinges on keeping crews deployed across a handful of active basins.

Dawson earns a narrow service fee on each seismic survey while the bulk of project costs (fuel, crew wages, transport) flow through as zero-margin reimbursable revenue, so profit is entirely the spread between the fee charged and crew operating costs.

Revenue by segment (latest quarter)
Fee Revenue$0.0B
Reimbursable Revenue$0.0B

Business quality (Mixed): Mixed: the business is cyclical, asset-light on paper but crew-heavy in practice, with thin gross margins and no meaningful pricing power against larger seismic firms.

Valuation: At 10× earnings, DWSN trades 38% below the Petroleum & Natural Gas average (16×). Note: the low multiple may reflect one-time earnings items.

Bull case

  • Valuation sits well below sector: DWSN trades at a P/E of 10.0x, 38% below the Petroleum & Natural Gas industry average of 16x, implying the market prices in persistent losses that may not persist if fee volumes continue to rebuild.

Bear case

  • Operating losses not yet reversed: Operating margin is -17%, meaning fixed overhead (crew bases, administration, depreciation) exceeds the gross profit generated by fee revenue. Until utilization is high enough to cover that base, the equity carries real downside risk in a demand downturn.
  • Gross margin leaves no cushion: A 15% gross margin on fee services is thin for a specialized technical niche; even modest fee compression or a one-off fuel surcharge can push the company further into the red, given the fixed cost structure.
Valuation — source: SEC EDGAR (first-party)
Price$3.39
Market Cap$106.21M
P/E Ratio29.2
EV / EBITDA9.6
Price / Book5.30
Price / Sales1.02
FCF Yield6.7%
DCF Value (model)$0.24
DCF Upside vs Price-92.9%
Profitability & Growth — source: SEC EDGAR
Revenue (TTM)$75.63M
Net Margin-2.6%
Revenue Growth (YoY)81.8%
EPS Growth (YoY)37.5%
FCF Growth (YoY)-69.8%
Financial Health — source: SEC EDGAR
Altman Z-Score-0.76 (distress)
Valuation vs Sector & Industry
Stock P/E29.2
Sector P/E (Energy)16.1
Industry P/E (Petroleum & Natural Gas)15.4
vs Sector81.7%
vs Industry89.7%
Smart-Money Activity — SEC Form 4 / 13F / Congressional disclosures
Top Institutional HolderBlackRock Fund Advisors ($5.49M)
Institutional Holders Tracked10
Company
SectorEnergy
IndustryPetroleum & Natural Gas
CEOAnthony Clark
Employees233
CountryUS
IPO Date1994-04-05

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DWSN earnings history · DWSN institutional & insider holders · DWSN KPIs & operating metrics · DWSN financials · DWSN investor presentations & press releases · DWSN SEC filings · DWSN peers · Congress trades · Insider trades · Short interest · Stock screener

Data as of 2026-09-02.

Figures sourced from U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC EDGAR) filings and market data. Not personalized investment advice.