For commuters, driving by the gas station on the first day of the day can now be a constant source of anxiety. The national average quickly rose to more than $4.50 per gallon, a shock to consumers who were paying less than $3 a gallon as recently as January. With the Iran war unending, $5-per-gallon gas seems inevitable, and US consumers will be forced to make tough travel decisions this summer.
Investors also have to make some decisions; if gas prices continue to rise, which stocks are poised to gain?
Tip: it requires a more sophisticated strategy than a large energy stock portfolio.
The energy industry was one of the best-performing market sectors in 2026, trailing only technology following the explosive semiconductor rally. But not all energy companies benefit from higher fuel prices. Investors will want to diversify their funds into different sectors of the industry that are most exposed to fuel prices.
Three types of companies make up the businesses that occupy this edge: West Coast refiners, Permian shale producers, and tanker operators.
Par Pacific Holdings: Small-Cap Refiner Profits From Widening Crack Spreads
Par Pacific Today
- 52 week interval
- $19.28
▼
$70.39
- The P/E ratio
- 6.51
- Target Value
- $67.00
The Pacific Coast has some of the highest retail prices for gasoline in the United States, so that's a good place to look for refiners who benefit from the wider spread of fracking. California gas prices have already broken $6 per gallon, and the state was already without a supply before the war began.
One of these beneficiaries is Par Pacific Holdings Inc. NYSE: PARRa small-cap refiner that operates in several locations across the Pacific Northwest and in Hawaii.
With a market cap of just over $3 billion, Par Pacific is set to generate more than $7 billion in sales by 2025, and the growing fracking spread has it poised for another strong year.
Despite the $125 million price bump from the Hawaii operation, Par Pacific still reported $1.82 billion in Q1 2026 revenue in its May 5 earnings release, including $91 million in adjusted EBITDA.
Earnings per share (EPS) of 78 cents missed expectations by $1, but the Hawaiian Renewables venture had a successful launch, and the crackdown is expected to provide summer storms. And despite a 40% gain over the past three months, PARR shares still trade at 4.4x forward earnings and 0.41x sales.
PARR shares may provide a quality entry point for new investors right now as the price is falling below the 50-day moving average. The 50-day and 200-day MA remain supportive of the uptrend, and the selling momentum indicated by the Relative Strength Index (RSI) appears to be slowing. If the RSI continues to reverse, a new all-time high is likely on the horizon.
Diamondback Energy: Premium Cash Flow Generation With Oil Over $90
Diamondback Energy Today
Diamondback Power
As of 05/15/2026 04:00 PM Eastern
- 52 week interval
- $132.20
▼
$214.51
- Dividend Yield
- 2.16%
- The P/E ratio
- 236.70
- Target Value
- $218.25
Diamondback Energy Inc. NASDAQ: FANG is one of the largest drilling rigs in the Permian Basin, extracting crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs) from wells in Texas and New Mexico.
Diamondback directly benefits from higher green prices; in Q4 2025, management indicated that the company could generate more than $5.5 billion if oil prices reach $70 per barrel.
Now that WTI crude prices have surpassed $90, Diamondback is in position to outperform even the most optimistic cash flow projections.
In its Q1 2026 earnings report, the company beat both high and low expectations, raised its dividend, and raised full-year oil production guidance. It also plans to put two or three new rigs into production, and the extra cash will help the company pay off debt and increase future profits and share purchases.
FANG stocks have been volatile over the past few months, but the stock is still up more than 30% year-to-date (YTD). Support at the 50-day MA has been present whenever the rally shows signs of a reversal, and stocks bounce back at this level as the RSI returns to bullish territory.
Scorpio Tanks: Hormuz Closure Causes Increase in Fleet Rate
Scorpio Tankers Today
- 52 week interval
- $37.96
▼
$87.39
- Dividend Yield
- 2.19%
- The P/E ratio
- 8.08
- Target Value
- $93.17
Statistics for Scorpio Tankers Inc. NYSE: STNG It's straightforward: if companies are forced to move from the Strait of Hormuz, shipping day rates will increase as the product is located further away.
Offloading often creates lucrative opportunities for shippers, as oil and gas companies have no choice but to pay astronomical prices, which then go straight into the profits.
Investors are already seeing this scenario play out in Scorpio. The company reported Q1 2026 revenue of more than $312 million in its May 6 earnings release, which was up more than 46% year-over-year (YOY).
Scorpio has only generated $938 million in total sales for 2025, so revenue is already ahead of last year's performance, and supply disruptions are likely to continue throughout the year.
The resumption of regular Hormuz traffic could be a distraction for STNG shares as shipping rates will normalize quickly. But until that catalyst happens, the stock will likely remain at a high that has seen it rise more than 60% YTD.
Support remains firm at the 50-day MA, and the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator indicates that bullish momentum is resuming and boiling.
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