Gulfport Energy to Spend $100M on Acreage Acquisitions, Boosts Share Repurchase Program Amid 8% Production Growth

Gulfport Energy plans to spend up to $100 million on discretionary acreage acquisitions, marking its highest leasehold spend in over six years. The company also expanded its share repurchase program amid an 8% increase in production. Gulfport Energy's President and CEO, John K. Reinhart, announced these plans during the company's Q2 2025 earnings call.

Gulfport Energy Corporation (GPOR) has outlined a significant strategic shift with plans to allocate up to $100 million for discretionary acreage acquisitions in the coming months, marking the highest leasehold spend in over six years. This initiative is aimed at securing future drilling opportunities and extending the company's inventory runway in the Utica Shale [1].

During the company's Q2 2025 earnings call, President and CEO John K. Reinhart announced the increased spending, along with a 50% expansion of the share repurchase program. The authorization for the share repurchase program has been raised from $1.0 billion to $1.5 billion, with $125 million already returned to shareholders in the first half of 2025. Additionally, the company plans to redeem all outstanding preferred stock to accelerate share repurchases and simplify its capital structure [1].

Gulfport Energy's second quarter of 2025 saw an 8% increase in production, with average daily production reaching 1.006 billion cubic feet equivalent per day. The company also reported strong financial results, including adjusted EBITDA of approximately $212 million and adjusted free cash flow of $64.6 million. Net cash provided by operating activities before changes in working capital totaled approximately $198 million [1].

The company's outlook for the full year remains cautious, with total net production expected to trend toward the low end of previously stated production guidance due to midstream outages and constraints. However, these production impacts have largely been resolved or are being actively mitigated. The company expects adjusted free cash flow to accelerate and financial momentum to increase over the second half of 2025 [1].

Gulfport Energy's stock price reacted positively to the earnings announcement, rising by 4.32% in after-hours trading. Analysts maintain a strong buy consensus on the stock, with a potential upside of 33% based on their target prices. The company's strategic initiatives in its Utica and SCOOP basins have been highlighted as key drivers for growth and capital allocation [2].

References:
[1] https://seekingalpha.com/news/4480757-gulfport-energy-plans-100m-acreage-acquisitions-and-expands-share-repurchase-program-amid-8
[2] https://www.investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-gulfport-energy-q2-2025-beats-forecasts-stock-rises-93CH-4173747