Dividend Power Score
A single, comprehensive score designed to measure the true strength of a company’s dividend.
This score combines three essential pillars of dividend quality:
Consistency – Measures how reliable the dividend has been over time, focusing on payment history, stability, and the absence of cuts or suspensions.
Payability – Assesses the company’s financial ability to sustain its dividend, taking into account cash flow, earnings coverage, balance sheet strength, and overall financial health.
Growth – Evaluates the long-term growth of both the dividend and the company’s share price, highlighting businesses that consistently increase payouts while creating shareholder value.
Higher scores identify companies that have historically delivered dependable income alongside sustained dividend growth and long-term capital appreciation.
Company Overview
HighPeak Energy, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company focused on the U.S. onshore upstream energy sector. The company’s core activity is the acquisition, development, and production of crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids, with operations concentrated in the Permian Basin, one of the most prolific hydrocarbon-producing regions in North America. HighPeak Energy generates the vast majority of its revenue from the sale of crude oil, which historically has represented its primary commodity output.
The company was founded in 2019 by Jack Hightower, a veteran energy executive with prior leadership roles in multiple Permian-focused operators. HighPeak Energy pursued rapid acreage consolidation and horizontal development in the Midland Basin sub-region of the Permian. Following a period of aggressive capital spending and elevated leverage, the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2024 and subsequently completed a court-approved financial restructuring. Public disclosures indicate the company continued operations during the restructuring process; however, the post-restructuring ownership structure and public equity status are not consistently reported across available public sources.
Business Operations
HighPeak Energy operates as a single-reportable-segment upstream company, with activities spanning leasing, drilling, completion, and production of oil and gas wells. Its operations are centered on horizontal development of unconventional shale reservoirs, primarily targeting Spraberry and Wolfcamp formations. Revenue is generated through the sale of produced hydrocarbons to third-party purchasers under market-based pricing arrangements.
The company conducts all operations through wholly owned subsidiaries, including HighPeak Energy II, LLC, which holds substantially all producing assets and operating interests. HighPeak does not operate midstream or downstream assets and relies on third-party providers for gathering, processing, and transportation services. Operations are entirely domestic, and no material international assets or joint ventures are disclosed in public filings.
Strategic Position & Investments
Strategically, HighPeak Energy has focused on maximizing value from a contiguous acreage position in the core of the Midland Basin through pad development and operational efficiencies. Prior to its restructuring, the company emphasized production growth funded through a combination of operating cash flow and debt financing. Post-bankruptcy disclosures emphasize balance sheet repair, reduced leverage, and disciplined capital allocation, though detailed forward-looking investment plans are limited in publicly available materials.
The company’s most significant strategic event was its 2024 Chapter 11 restructuring, which resulted in the conversion of debt to equity and a reorganization of its capital structure. No major acquisitions, divestitures, or investments in emerging energy technologies beyond traditional upstream oil and gas development are confirmed in post-restructuring disclosures. Data inconclusive based on available public sources regarding material new portfolio investments following emergence from bankruptcy.
Geographic Footprint
HighPeak Energy’s operational footprint is entirely within the United States, with all producing assets located in West Texas. Its acreage is concentrated in Howard County and surrounding areas within the Midland Basin, a sub-region of the broader Permian Basin. The company’s headquarters has historically been located in Fort Worth, Texas, though some corporate functions have also been associated with Midland, Texas.
The company does not report international operations, foreign subsidiaries, or overseas investments. Its geographic exposure is therefore highly concentrated, making performance closely tied to regional drilling economics, infrastructure availability, and U.S. commodity price dynamics.
Leadership & Governance
HighPeak Energy was founded and led by Jack Hightower, who has served as Executive Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. The leadership team has primarily consisted of executives with extensive experience in Permian Basin operations and upstream capital markets. Governance and executive compensation structures were modified as part of the 2024 restructuring process, though specific post-emergence governance details vary across disclosures.
Key executives historically associated with the company include:
- Jack Hightower – Executive Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer
- Michael J. Hollis – Chief Financial Officer
- Craig G. Annis – Chief Operating Officer
- Stephanie K. Files – General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
Management has consistently articulated a strategy centered on operational execution, capital discipline, and maximizing recoveries from high-quality Permian acreage. However, some leadership roles and titles may have changed following the company’s bankruptcy emergence; data inconclusive based on available public sources regarding the current full executive roster.