Top Energy Stocks by UQS Score

341 stocks scored · Last updated July 7, 2026

Energy is the most cyclical major sector, and that cyclicality creates both danger and opportunity. Commodity prices swing, capex cycles overshoot, and debt taken on during booms becomes toxic during busts. The companies that score highest here have learned to generate strong free cash flow even in mid-cycle pricing environments, maintain conservative balance sheets, and return capital to shareholders instead of chasing production growth for its own sake. The post-2020 energy sector has shifted from growth-at-all-costs to capital discipline — and the UQS model rewards that discipline.

Energy Sector Characteristics

The energy sector covers upstream exploration and production, midstream pipelines, downstream refining, integrated oil majors, oilfield services, and increasingly, renewable energy companies. What defines this sector for scoring purposes is commodity exposure: most energy companies' revenue and margins are heavily influenced by oil, natural gas, or power prices that they don't control. This creates volatile quality and growth scores over time — an E&P company might show a 90 quality score when oil is $80 and a 40 when it's $50, even though the underlying business hasn't changed. The risk pillar is especially important for energy because overleveraged companies face existential threats during commodity downturns.

Scoring note: Energy stocks are scored with industrial thresholds (20% ROIC, 25% operating margin). The growth pillar tends to penalize energy companies during commodity downturns — look at the quality and risk scores for a truer picture of the business, since earnings swings driven by oil prices don't reflect operational quality.

Energy Sector Score Overview

62

Avg UQS Score

72

Avg Quality

32

Avg Moat

63

Avg Growth

73

Avg Risk

84

Avg Valuation

Top Energy Stocks: Who Leads and Why

#1NXTNextpower Inc.71

Nextpower Inc. leads the energy sector with a 71 UQS score, reflecting the highest combination of profitability, balance sheet strength, and valuation in the sector. Its quality score of 86 indicates disciplined capital allocation even in a cyclical business.

#2TGSTransportadora de Gas del Sur S.A.68

Transportadora de Gas del Sur S.A. scores 68 overall, with notable strength in risk (73) demonstrating a conservative balance sheet that can weather commodity price swings without threatening the dividend.

#3NRTNorth European Oil Royalty Trust67

At 67, North European Oil Royalty Trust ranks third with a standout moat score of 29, suggesting structural competitive advantages — whether from scale, infrastructure assets, or low-cost reserves — that differentiate it from commodity-dependent peers.

#4PSD.TOPulse Seismic Inc.67

Pulse Seismic Inc. scores 67 with balanced pillar performance, indicating an energy company that manages the sector's inherent cyclicality better than most.

#5BSMBlack Stone Minerals, L.P.65

Black Stone Minerals, L.P. scores 65 with balanced pillar performance, indicating an energy company that manages the sector's inherent cyclicality better than most.

Full Energy Ranking: Top 25 Stocks

#	Stock	UQS	Q	M	G	R	V
1	NXTNextpower Inc.	71	86	42	86	95	51
2	TGSTransportadora de Gas del Sur S.A.	68	60	46	85	73	94
3	NRTNorth European Oil Royalty Trust	67	85	29	69	72	94
4	PSD.TOPulse Seismic Inc.	67	85	38	53	100	72
5	BSMBlack Stone Minerals, L.P.	65	82	58	28	84	82
6	EXEExpand Energy Corporation	65	72	27	71	73	99
7	GPORGulfport Energy Corp	65	85	20	71	62	100
8	TOYOTOYO Co., Ltd.	63	83	8	80	64	100
9	TOT.TOTotal Energy Services Inc.	62	49	26	78	85	100
10	EOGEOG Resources, Inc.	62	76	29	46	81	95
11	TCW.TOTrican Well Service Ltd.	62	64	25	61	85	96
12	IMPPImperial Petroleum Inc.	61	63	12	63	100	100
13	NFGNational Fuel Gas Company	61	64	47	71	47	81
14	FTITechnipFMC plc	61	63	42	66	73	69
15	TPLTexas Pacific Land Corporation	61	74	41	61	100	30
16	RRCRange Resources Corporation	60	71	20	73	60	94
17	LPGDorian LPG Ltd.	60	79	18	57	68	96
18	WHDCactus, Inc.	60	56	35	55	96	77
19	TPZ.TOTopaz Energy Corp.	60	64	39	71	72	60
20	WESWestern Midstream Partners, LP	60	86	43	58	23	82
21	CQPCheniere Energy Partners, L.P.	59	95	50	53	15	67
22	TDWTidewater Inc.	59	71	26	53	75	87
23	INVXInnovex International, Inc.	59	42	30	66	100	87
24	PBR-APetróleo Brasileiro S.A. - Petrobras	59	71	32	57	46	100
25	PXT.TOParex Resources Inc.	59	64	20	56	78	100

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Frequently Asked Questions About Energy Stocks

How does UQS handle commodity price cyclicality in energy scoring?

The UQS model scores energy companies on trailing-twelve-month data, which means scores naturally fluctuate with commodity cycles. During high oil prices, energy companies' quality and growth scores improve; during downturns, they decline. The risk pillar provides the most stable insight because it measures balance sheet health rather than earnings. Investors who understand this cyclicality can use UQS scores strategically — a high-quality energy company with a temporarily depressed growth score during a commodity downturn may represent a buying opportunity.

Are renewable energy companies included in this sector?

Yes, renewable energy companies classified under the Energy GICS sector appear in this ranking. However, some renewable energy companies are categorized as Utilities or Industrials depending on their primary business model, in which case they appear on the Industrials sector page instead. The UQS scoring applies the same energy-sector thresholds to all companies classified as Energy, whether fossil fuel or renewable.

Why do integrated oil majors often score higher than pure-play E&P companies?

Diversification is the key advantage. Integrated majors (like the supermajors) have downstream refining and chemical operations that often profit when upstream oil prices fall — this natural hedge stabilizes earnings across commodity cycles. They also tend to have stronger balance sheets, more consistent free cash flow, and higher moat scores due to their scale advantages. Pure-play E&P companies are more leveraged to commodity prices, which creates more volatile quality and growth scores.