The oil & gas sector has been quite bullish over the past few months as Trump won the election. Some stocks have gained significantly after he entered office.
The Stargate announcement has also driven bullish sentiment as the AI data center expansion will drive significant energy demand. They require 24/7 reliable energy sources and data centers alone are expected to consume 500 Twh globally in 2025. This is up 11% from 2024.
Plus, cold U.S. winters and European export demand have lifted natural gas prices from historic lows, and LNG companies have been gaining traction as global gas trade expands.
Trump’s executive orders have also reversed clean energy mandates, so many investors see this as a good sign that things will go well for oil & gas stocks for the next four years. It’s worth looking into the ones that have gained the most, as these companies are the ones spearheading the sector.
An oil rig in the midst of extracting oil and natural gas from the earth, illuminated by the setting sun.
Methodology
For this article, I screened the top-performing oil & gas stocks year-to-date. Stocks that I have covered recently will be excluded from this list.
I will also mention the number of hedge fund investors in these stocks. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds invest in? 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 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
15. Texas Pacific Land Corp (NYSE:TPL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 20
Texas Pacific Land Corporation (NYSE:TPL) owns 880,000 acres in the Permian Basin. It generates revenue through oil and gas royalties. It’s also involved in water services and land leases.
The stock has surged significantly this year. This is mainly due to a 29% YoY increase in Q3 2024 oil and gas royalty production. Plus, it did a 37% dividend hike to $6.40 annually.
It joined the S&P 500 (replacing Marathon Oil).
Recent filings show aggressive expansion into non-oil revenue streams. This includes solar, wind, and data center leases, while its water segment grew revenue to $28.2 million due to a 27.6% increase in volume.
The consensus price target of $1,090 implies 15.97% downside risk.
TPL stock is up 9.97% year-to-date.
14. Cheniere Energy Partners LP (NYSE:CQP)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q3 2024: 4
Cheniere Energy Partners LP (NYSE:CQP) is a midstream energy company that specializes in LNG production.
The stock is up significantly in 2025 as President Trump reversed the Biden administration’s pause on LNG export permits and this has increased confidence in Cheniere’s SPL Expansion Project.
Moreover, Q3 2024 revenue reached $2.06 billion with a net income of $635 million. It also declared a $0.820/unit quarterly distribution (5% yield). Cheniere exported 1,166 TBtu of LNG in the first nine months of 2024, up 4% year-over-year, and the Sabine Pass terminal’s expansion potential positions the company to capitalize on global LNG demand, particularly from Europe and Asia, which make up 38% and 45% of exports, respectively.
The consensus analyst price target of $55 implies 10.37% downside.
CQP stock is up 10.26% year-to-date.