Oil and gas analysts love rumors more than a country song loves beer, bars, and boots.

In the days following the Reuters’ report that ExxonMobil could be, might be, in double-secret talks with Pioneer Natural Resources about a possible buyout, Wall Street soothsayers took to their Magic 8 ball to predict which other Permian operators might be ripe for the picking.

One of them, they chanted, was Matador Resources. They make an interesting point.

Reese Energy Consulting today is following the latest news from Matador, which reported a handsome 1Q, including a 6% increase in overall production of 106.6 MBOED dominated by its Delaware activity, and adjusted EBITDA of $365.2 million. A good start to the year, no doubt. But this may be just the opening drumroll.

Matador closed its bolt-on acquisition of Advance Energy on April 12 following the end of its 1Q. The $1.6 billion deal included 18,500 net acres in the core of the Northern Delaware and 25.4 MBOED, giving Matador a total 150,000 net acres there, along with 465 MMBOE of proved reserves. The company expects this year to turn to sales 21 wells and connect the new assets to its Pronto midstream system. All of which will keep Matador—with an enterprise value of $7.2 billion—one to watch for potential suitors looking to stock up their inventory like a parent of 10 at Costco.