The energy sector has experienced a strong comeback after lagging for most of the year. In July, crude oil prices surged over 15%, marking the best month since January 2022. In August, oil prices have continued to rise, with crude oil now recovering all its losses for the year.
This rally in oil prices has led to optimism among investors, prompting a surge in the rankings of top stocks in the sector. Several stocks have recently been ranked as Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) due to their strong fundamentals and positive earnings estimate revisions over the past month.
The surge in oil prices can be attributed to a tightening oil market. Major OPEC+ players, such as Saudi Arabia and Russia, have implemented supply reductions, while Russia announced it would slash crude exports by 500,000 barrels per day in August. Additionally, a Nigerian supply outage has further impacted oil output. These supply reductions, combined with high demand, have resulted in market deficits and shifted sentiment from pessimism to growth.
Wildcat Petroleum plc (LON:WCAT) was incorporated in early 2020, with plans to work and invest in the upstream sector of the petroleum industry – namely exploration, appraisal, development and production of oil and gas.