The Woodside Petroleum Limited (ASX: WPL) share price rocketed 5.52% higher yesterday, but is the Aussie oil and gas giant in the buy zone?

Why is the Woodside Petroleum share price climbing?

Woodside is Australia’s largest operator of oil and gas production. This means when oil prices move, the Woodside share price usually isn’t far behind.

The prospect of easing lockdowns around the world boosted oil prices higher on Tuesday. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures climbed 1.3% to US$38.69 per barrel while Brent crude futures climbed 1.4% to $41.36 per barrel.

This is largely due to an anticipated increase in demand. When the coronavirus lockdowns kicked off, oil prices plummeted lower. With air travel slowing to a trickle and many businesses shutting their doors, there was limited demand for oil.

That supply-shock was coupled with an oil price war between Saudi Arabia and Russia which led to a glut of production. 

However, the Woodside share price rocketed higher yesterday as the tides begin to turn in global markets.

Is Woodside a cheap buy today?

Shares in the Aussie oil and gas producer closed up 5.52% at $24.65 on Tuesday.

However, the Woodside share price is still down steeply from the start of the year.

I think we will see more volatility in ASX energy shares over the coming months. Woodside is trading at a price to earnings (P/E) ratio of 46.7 right now, but what about its relative value?

Santos Ltd (ASX: STO) is probably the closest listed competitor to Woodside.

The Santos share price rocketed 7.30% yesterday and is trading at a P/E ratio of just 13.3 times.

That could mean that Woodside is massively overvalued right now.

Foolish takeaway

I’m not much of an oil and gas investor myself. At a surface level, the Santos share price does look cheaper than the Woodside share price.

However, there are subtle differences that can cause huge valuation changes so it may not be as clear cut as it seems.

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Motley Fool contributor Ken Hall has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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The Kogan.com Ltd (ASX:KGN) share price had a good week last week. It leapt 12% on Thursday after the company released a June trading update. By the end of the week, it had settled lower to remain 10% up for the week. This company is squarely in the line-of-sight of Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) as it continues its growth in the Australian market.

The question every investor should be asking is: can they survive it?

Current performance

The June release painted a picture of a company doing well and growing rapidly. Comparing the fourth quarter to date against the same period last year, the company announced significant improvements in performance. 

The company now boasts over 2 million active customers. It grew gross sales by 100% and, at the same time, grew gross profit by more than 130%. This supports recent reports across buy now, pay later companies showing increases in transactions and users while in lockdown. This is despite Amazon.com already existing in the marketplace. 

Kogan.com also recently announced the purchase of furniture retailer Matt Blatt. The company is planning to relaunch it purely online. Throughout the short history of Kogan.com, it has shown a great understanding of online retail. In 2016 the company purchased electronics retailer Dick Smith, successfully relaunching it as an online retailer.

On my figures, Kogan.com has increased its sales revenues by, on average, around 14% every year during the past three years. This has enabled the company to grow its earnings-per-share by around 65% a year. 

Can Kogan.com compete with Amazon?

Kogan.com has a few competitive advantages. First and foremost, as a company with own-brand products, Kogan.com sells products on Amazon. Second, the company has always had a ‘best price’ guarantee. While Amazon is known for efficient and, often criticised, work practices, Kogan is proudly miserly. Even to the point of running a paperless office. 

Moreover, just as Amazon built the high margin Amazon Web Services to subsidise the entire business. Kogan.com has also grown additional verticals in the financial and telecommunications sectors. The company has services in mobile telephone coverage, nbn services, insurance, home loans and even cars. The company is adept at partnering with industry leaders. 

Foolish takeaway

At least within Australia, I can see Kogan.com holding their own against Amazon or whoever the next challenger is going to be. The company deserves a place on your watchlist at the very least. Given the rate the company is growing its sales and earnings per share, I believe this is a share price with a lot of growth ahead of it.

More reading

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• Why I’d buy Appen and these ASX growth shares for the 2020s
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• Could these ASX shares be the future dividend stars that make you rich?
• What ASX shares should you invest in during a bull market?

John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Daryl Mather has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and recommends Amazon and recommends the following options: short January 2022 $1940 calls on Amazon and long January 2022 $1920 calls on Amazon. The Motley Fool Australia owns shares of and has recommended Kogan.com ltd. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Amazon. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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