In this article, we are going to discuss the 10 high-yield crude oil stocks to buy after Trump’s blitz in Venezuela.
After a dismal year in 2025, the American crude oil industry is back in the spotlight following the recent US actions in Venezuela, which ended with the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro. The United States is now taking control of Venezuela’s massive oil reserves, with President Trump pushing American companies to spend at least $100 billion to help revive the South American country’s crumbling oil infrastructure.
While the President seems optimistic, American oil operators remain cautious, mostly due to their troubled past in Venezuela. The country has had a complicated relationship with international oil firms and has a history of nationalizing their assets and forcing them to leave. Therefore, while the oil executives see an opportunity, they have ongoing concerns about the country’s political stability and whether they could trust the interim government in Caracas being run by Delcy Rodriguez.
Moreover, the decision to invest tens of billions of dollars in a country marred by uncertainties is especially hard in the current low-priced environment. Brent crude futures dipped by 19% in 2025, marking their third straight year of losses, while US WTI crude also fell by nearly 20% YoY.
However, Venezuela’s oil reserves still present a significant opportunity for some, and here are the Best Oil Dividend Stocks that Could Benefit from the US Action in Venezuela.
Our Methodology
To collect data for this article, we observed various companies operating in the crude oil sector and then shortlisted the ones with an annual dividend yield of over 2% as of January 12, 2026. Then we ranked these stocks by the number of hedge funds invested in them at the end of Q3 2025, as per the Insider Monkey database. To keep our list relevant to the topic, we have only selected American companies that stand to potentially benefit from the US action in Venezuela. The following are the Best Oil Dividend Stocks to Buy Now.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 427.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 264 percentage points (see more details here).
10. Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 30
Dividend Yield as of Jan. 12: 3.27%
Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP), together with its subsidiaries, provides drilling solutions and technologies for oil and gas exploration and production companies.
On January 7, TD Cowen analyst Marc Bianchi raised the firm’s price target from $33 to $35, while maintaining a ‘Hold’ rating on the shares. The revised target, which comes as part of the firm’s Q4 preview, indicates an upside of over 14% from current levels.
The analyst noted that many oilfield stocks posted gains on the news of the US action in Venezuela, which has led to American oil companies potentially gaining access to the largest oil reserves in the world. However, American companies will require significant time and guarantees from the White House before they commit to investing tens of billions to revive Venezuela’s crumbling oil infrastructure. TD Cowen believes that while the market’s excited reaction to the news may be overdone, some oil stocks still remain ‘cheap’.
It needs mentioning that Helmerich & Payne, Inc. (NYSE:HP) is still trying to get paid on $90 million of invoices and recover 11 drilling rigs seized by Venezuela in 2010. So the current US action to oust President Maduro and gain control of the country’s oil reserves may just prove to be of assistance.
9. PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 39
Dividend Yield as of Jan. 12: 3.35%
PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) is one of the largest independent petroleum refiners and suppliers of unbranded transportation fuels, heating oil, petrochemical feedstocks, lubricants, and other petroleum products in the United States.
PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) received a boost on January 8 when Piper Sandler double upgraded the stock from Underweight to Overweight. However, the analyst also reduced its price target on the stock from $42 to $40, still indicating an upside potential of 22% from the current share price. The revision comes as Piper Sandler expects West Coast balances to tighten materially this year.
PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) disclosed on January 5 that it now expects the rebuild activities at its Martinez refinery to progress into February. The 157,000 bpd refinery was damaged by a fire in February 2025 and has been operating at partial capacity since early in the second quarter of 2025. Despite the delay, Piper Sandler believes that the petroleum refiner remains among the most levered to PADD 5.
Moreover, the analyst highlighted that while PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF)’s organic cash flow generation falls behind its peers, the insurance proceeds from the fire incident will help support its balance sheet and may even offer the potential of shareholder returns if margins rise. PBF is the only US refiner trading well below its recent highs, and at around 4X EV/EBITDA, the analyst thinks that the stock remains inexpensive.
PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) stands to benefit from the US blitz in Venezuela as it already buys the country’s crude from Chevron and could potentially take more, as it is well-suited to its refining operations. The potential of large amounts of cheaper Venezuelan oil entering the country would also reduce the prices that US buyers pay to Canadian producers and help increase their margins.
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