Why Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) Stock is Falling This Week

We recently published a list of Energy Stocks that are Losing This Week. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Empire Petroleum Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:EP) stands against other energy stocks that are declining this week.

After a slight uptick, the global crude oil price fell again over the last week, declining by a little more than 5%. The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) price is currently hovering just under $60, painting a bleak outlook for the global oil industry. Investors are bracing for OPEC+ to boost output, amid worries that President Trump’s tariffs would hit the global economy and slow demand for the fuel.

Further adding to investor concerns, a major UK oil and gas company unveiled its Q1 2025 earnings this week, reporting a deeper-than-expected 48% drop in net profit on weaker refining and gas trading. The energy market is also awaiting two American oil supermajors to report their earnings later this week, which will present a clearer picture of the sector and its projections going forward.

A sector that has been hit particularly hard by the declining crude price is that of oilfield services, which expects a sharp decline in drilling activity going forward if prices remain at current levels. It must be mentioned that short interest in the energy sector reached 2.58% in March compared to 2.52% in February, with the most shorted industry within the sector being Oil & Gas Equipment & Services. This was primarily due to the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on steel and aluminum imports, which have raised costs and decreased margins for a sector that is already bracing for a slowdown in activity in the coming months.

Why Empire Petroleum Corporation (EP) Stock is Falling This Week

A rig pumping oil in the midst of a sun-baked desert.

Our Methodology

To collect data for this article, we have referred to several stock screeners to find energy stocks that have fallen the most between April 22 to April 29, 2025. The following are the Energy Stocks that Lost the Most This Week. The stocks are ranked according to their share price decline during this period.

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Empire Petroleum Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:EP)

Share Price Decline Between Apr. 22 and Apr. 29: 6.12%

Empire Petroleum Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:EP) is a conventional oil and natural gas producer with a main focus in the US onshore.

Empire Petroleum Corporation (NYSEAMERICAN:EP) stock surged by over 25% earlier this month after the company announced its Q4 2024 results, reporting net production volumes of 1,581 barrels of oil per day, up 22% from the same period in 2023. So the recent downturn could be due to investors booking their profits. Also, despite a sharp uptick in production, EP posted a $16.2 million net loss for FY 2024, against a net loss of $12.5 million the year before.

Overall, EP ranks 8th on our list of the energy stocks that lost the most this week. While we acknowledge the potential of EP as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than EP but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.