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13 Oil Stocks with Biggest Upside

In this piece, we will take a look at the 13 oil stocks with the biggest upside. If you want to skip our overview of the oil sector and some recent news, then you can skip ahead to the 5 Oil Stocks with Biggest Upside.

When we talk about investing in major sectors of the stock market, such as oil stocks, the number of equities that are available for trading on major indexes runs into the hundreds. This means that selecting the right stocks to invest in becomes a tedious process that requires an investor to patiently work through copious amounts of financial data to see whether a share price is justified by a firm’s underlying models.

Naturally, this is why the finance industry exists, with the sell side sector hiring teams to analyze stocks and write recommendations. Some such firms include banks such as JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM), Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS), and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS). These banks issue hundreds of stock notes each year, and often formulate lists of top firms in sectors such as oil to narrow down potential star stock performers.

Oil stocks in particular have been at the center of news coverage for the past couple of years, and despite significant demand up and downswings in the sector, their long term returns still resemble those that are characteristic of stable sectors. For instance, when we look at the five year performance of the S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Select Industry Index, the index is up by 16%, a growth that discounts the effects of dividends in providing investors a larger bang for their buck.

In fact for the oil industry, even though 2023 was a boon in terms of revenue and high profits due to elevated gas prices stemming from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it saw a sector that was still reeling from the effects of post pandemic global shutdowns and travel restrictions. These had ensured that the demand for oil was cut down significantly, and as the implications became clear, the same S&P oil index that is up by 16% over the past five years dropped by more than 30% over the course of a single summer month.

Just before this turmoil hit, i.e. in June 2022, Goldman Sachs had started to share its favored oil stocks which the bank’s analyst Neil Mehta outlined had the potential for the greatest share price upside. The list was accompanied by a note that identified companies slated to benefit from a boom in global commodity demand and prices right when the global energy industry was undergoing a significant re shift on the supply side and fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) boomed as an alternative to cheap Russian gas.

Mehta explained that the list of companies his teams had identified carried the potential of generating strong cash flows and potentially experiencing significant upside revisions down the road. He added that in case of long term crude oil prices hovering around $90, the top oil stocks could provide attractive valuations and end up being important components of a beta barbell investing strategy that allows an investor to focus on high and low risk stocks to strike an adequate balance between hedging a portfolio and seeking return.

Since then, Goldman Sachs has mostly stuck with its oil price forecast, which is important since the high cash flow companies that the analyst identified are said to be capable of using stable prices to generate high cash flow. Cash flow is the actual money that is available to a firm for its operations and investor returns, and the bank’s latest oil price forecast sits at $87 after a $2 raise in February 2024.

With the outlook of oil still rosy despite a slow Chinese recovery, we decided to look at the top oil stocks with the biggest upside. Some notable picks are Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), Hess Corporation (NYSE:HES), and Pioneer Natural Resources Company (NYSE:PXD).

An oil derrick in the North Sea, revealing the scope of the company’s drilling operations.

Our Methodology

To make our list of the oil stocks with the highest upside, we ranked Goldman Sachs’s top oil stock picks in 2022 and 2024 by the number of hedge funds that had bought the shares in 2023’s December quarter. Out of these, the stocks with the highest number of hedge fund shareholders were chosen as the oil stocks with the highest upside. For the oil stocks from 2022, the share price performance from March 2022 is shared.

For these oil stocks with the largest upside, we used we used hedge fund sentiment. Hedge funds’ top 10 consensus stock picks outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). That’s why we pay very close attention to this often-ignored indicator.

13 Oil Stocks with Biggest Upside

13. Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY)

Number of Q4 2023 Hedge Fund Shareholders: 25

Share Price Performance Since March 2022: -4.22%

Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY) is a small American oil exploration firm headquartered in Houston, Texas. While the shares are down by 4.22% since March 2022, after the July dip, they have appreciated by 10%. The average analyst share price target is $24.77.

During December 2023, 25 out of the 933 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey had bought the firm’s shares. Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY)’s largest stakeholder among these is Amy Minella’s Cardinal Capital due to its $42.9 million investment.

Along with Hess Corporation (NYSE:HES), Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), and Pioneer Natural Resources Company (NYSE:PXD), Magnolia Oil & Gas Corporation (NYSE:MGY)   is an oil stock with significant upside.

12. Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS)

Number of Q4 2023 Hedge Fund Shareholders: 62

Share Price Performance Since March 2022: -5.77%

Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS) is an American oil and gas company with exploration projects in the U.S. and other countries. Its shares have been on a roller coaster trajectory since March 2022, and while the stock has soared by as much as 45% during this period, over the long term it is still down by roughly 6%.

As of Q4 2023 end, 62 out of the 933 hedge funds part of Insider Monkey’s database had bought and owned a stake in Kosmos Energy Ltd. (NYSE:KOS). Len Kipp and Xavier Majic’s Maple Rock Capital was the firm’s biggest investor since it owned $60 million worth of shares.

11. Ovintiv Inc. (NYSE:OVV)

Number of Q4 2023 Hedge Fund Shareholders: 35

Share Price Performance Since March 2022: -0.27%

Ovintiv Inc. (NYSE:OVV) produces oil in several American states and Canadian provinces. While the stock was quick to recover most of its 2022 losses in the next couple of months, a sell off that took place in July 2023 after it announced a $250 million asset sale is yet to reverse itself.

Insider Monkey scoured through 933 hedge fund holdings for last year’s fourth quarter and found that 35 had invested in Ovintiv Inc. (NYSE:OVV). Michael Rockefeller and Karl Kroeker’s Woodline Partners was the biggest investor since it held a $136 million stake.

10. Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR)

Number of Q4 2023 Hedge Fund Shareholders: 39

Share Price Performance Since March 2022: -0.55%

Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR) is a Colorado based oil company with operations in the Appalachian basin and the Upper Devonian Shale. Looking at its financials to see how cash flows have done over the past couple of years, the operating cash flow dropped significantly in 2023 over 2022, on the back of a lower net income.

By December 2023 end, 39 out of the 933 hedge funds surveyed by Insider Monkey were the firm’s shareholders. Antero Resources Corporation (NYSE:AR)’s largest stakeholder is Phill Gross and Robert Atchinson’s Adage Capital Management as it owns $107 million worth of shares.

9. EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT)

Number of Q4 2023 Hedge Fund Shareholders: 40

Share Price Performance Since March 2022: 6.55%

EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT) is a pure play natural gas company headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A greater interest in U.S. oil production following the Russian invasion has helped the stock over the past twelve months as the shares are up by 9.85%.

Insider Monkey dug through 933 hedge fund portfolios for 2023’s December quarter to find 40 EQT Corporation (NYSE:EQT) investors.  Eric W. Mandelblatt’s Soroban Capital Partners owned the biggest stake which was worth $214 million.

8. Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE:CTRA)

Number of Q4 2023 Hedge Fund Shareholders: 42

Share Price Performance Since March 2022: 2.78%

Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE:CTRA) is another natural gas company. The fact that its shares are also up since March marks a crucial divergence on our list of the oil stocks with the biggest upside. This comes in the form of natural gas, as gas companies have managed to sustain investor interest due to the need to develop Russian alternatives. Year to date the stock is flat on the back of weaker natural gas prices.

During last year’s final quarter, 42 out of the 933 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey had bought the firm’s shares. Coterra Energy Inc. (NYSE:CTRA)’s largest hedge fund investor is Steve Cohen’s Point72 Asset Management since it owns 5.5 million shares that are worth $141 million.

7. Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FANG)

Number of Q4 2023 Hedge Fund Shareholders: 42

Share Price Performance Since March 2022: 36.75%

Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FANG) is one of the highest performing stocks on our list of the top stocks with the highest upside. A somewhat diversified firm, it is involved in producing oil and gas and transporting it as well. Not only are the shares up by 36.75% since March 2022, but this doesn’t capture the full return as Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FANG) also pays a $2 dividend for a 4.5% yield.

Insider Monkey’s fourth quarter of 2023 survey covered 933 hedge funds and found 42 Diamondback Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:FANG) shareholders. Ric Dillon’s Diamond Hill Capital was the biggest shareholder through its $248 million stake.

6. ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)

Number of Q4 2023 Hedge Fund Shareholders: 59

Share Price Performance Since March 2022: 4.22%

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) is a Texas based diversified oil firm with a presence in several countries. It’s also one of the top rated stocks on our list, having secured an average share rating of Strong Buy and an average share price target of $136 that promises a hefty upside.

59 out of the 933 hedge funds part of Insider Monkey’s Q4 2023 database had bought and owned the firm’s shares. ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)’s largest hedge fund investor is Boykin Curry’s Eagle Capital Management due to its $1.5 billion investment.

Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX), Hess Corporation (NYSE:HES), ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP), and Pioneer Natural Resources Company (NYSE:PXD) are some top Goldman Sachs oil stocks with high potential upside.

Click to continue reading and see 5 Oil Stocks with Biggest Upside.

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Disclosure. None. 13 Oil Stocks with Biggest Upside was initially published on Insider Monkey.

AI, Tariffs, Nuclear Power: One Undervalued Stock Connects ALL the Dots (Before It Explodes!)

Artificial intelligence is the greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime. The time to invest in groundbreaking AI is now, and this stock is a steal!

AI is eating the world—and the machines behind it are ravenous.

Each ChatGPT query, each model update, each robotic breakthrough consumes massive amounts of energy. In fact, AI is already pushing global power grids to the brink.

Wall Street is pouring hundreds of billions into artificial intelligence—training smarter chatbots, automating industries, and building the digital future. But there’s one urgent question few are asking:

Where will all of that energy come from?

AI is the most electricity-hungry technology ever invented. Each data center powering large language models like ChatGPT consumes as much energy as a small city. And it’s about to get worse.

Even Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, issued a stark warning:

“The future of AI depends on an energy breakthrough.”

Elon Musk was even more blunt:

“AI will run out of electricity by next year.”

As the world chases faster, smarter machines, a hidden crisis is emerging behind the scenes. Power grids are strained. Electricity prices are rising. Utilities are scrambling to expand capacity.

And that’s where the real opportunity lies…

One little-known company—almost entirely overlooked by most AI investors—could be the ultimate backdoor play. It’s not a chipmaker. It’s not a cloud platform. But it might be the most important AI stock in the US owns critical energy infrastructure assets positioned to feed the coming AI energy spike.

As demand from AI data centers explodes, this company is gearing up to profit from the most valuable commodity in the digital age: electricity.

The “Toll Booth” Operator of the AI Energy Boom

  • It owns critical nuclear energy infrastructure assets, positioning it at the heart of America’s next-generation power strategy.
  • It’s one of the only global companies capable of executing large-scale, complex EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) projects across oil, gas, renewable fuels, and industrial infrastructure.
  • It plays a pivotal role in U.S. LNG exportation—a sector about to explode under President Trump’s renewed “America First” energy doctrine.

Trump has made it clear: Europe and U.S. allies must buy American LNG.

And our company sits in the toll booth—collecting fees on every drop exported.

But that’s not all…

As Trump’s proposed tariffs push American manufacturers to bring their operations back home, this company will be first in line to rebuild, retrofit, and reengineer those facilities.

AI. Energy. Tariffs. Onshoring. This One Company Ties It All Together.

While the world is distracted by flashy AI tickers, a few smart investors are quietly scooping up shares of the one company powering it all from behind the scenes.

AI needs energy. Energy needs infrastructure.

And infrastructure needs a builder with experience, scale, and execution.

This company has its finger in every pie—and Wall Street is just starting to notice.

Wall Street is noticing this company also because it is quietly riding all of these tailwinds—without the sky-high valuation.

While most energy and utility firms are buried under mountains of debt and coughing up hefty interest payments just to appease bondholders…

This company is completely debt-free.

In fact, it’s sitting on a war chest of cash—equal to nearly one-third of its entire market cap.

It also owns a huge equity stake in another red-hot AI play, giving investors indirect exposure to multiple AI growth engines without paying a premium.

And here’s what the smart money has started whispering…

The Hedge Fund Secret That’s Starting to Leak Out

This stock is so off-the-radar, so absurdly undervalued, that some of the most secretive hedge fund managers in the world have begun pitching it at closed-door investment summits.

They’re sharing it quietly, away from the cameras, to rooms full of ultra-wealthy clients.

Why? Because excluding cash and investments, this company is trading at less than 7 times earnings.

And that’s for a business tied to:

  • The AI infrastructure supercycle
  • The onshoring boom driven by Trump-era tariffs
  • A surge in U.S. LNG exports
  • And a unique footprint in nuclear energy—the future of clean, reliable power

You simply won’t find another AI and energy stock this cheap… with this much upside.

This isn’t a hype stock. It’s not riding on hope.

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This is your chance to get in before the rockets take off!

Disruption is the New Name of the Game: Let’s face it, complacency breeds stagnation.

AI is the ultimate disruptor, and it’s shaking the foundations of traditional industries.

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A New Dawn is Coming to U.S. Stocks

I work for one of the largest independent financial publishers in the world – representing over 1 million people in 148 countries.

We’re independently funding today’s broadcast to address something on the mind of every investor in America right now…

Should I put my money in Artificial Intelligence?

Here to answer that for us… and give away his No. 1 free AI recommendation… is 50-year Wall Street titan, Marc Chaikin.

Marc’s been a trader, stockbroker, and analyst. He was the head of the options department at a major brokerage firm and is a sought-after expert for CNBC, Fox Business, Barron’s, and Yahoo! Finance…

But what Marc’s most known for is his award-winning stock-rating system. Which determines whether a stock could shoot sky-high in the next three to six months… or come crashing down.

That’s why Marc’s work appears in every Bloomberg and Reuters terminal on the planet…

And is still used by hundreds of banks, hedge funds, and brokerages to track the billions of dollars flowing in and out of stocks each day.

He’s used this system to survive nine bear markets… create three new indices for the Nasdaq… and even predict the brutal bear market of 2022, 90 days in advance.

Click to continue reading…