Oil Prices Are Soaring. These 3 Energy Stocks Are the Ones to Buy in April.

By Matt DiLallo – Apr 18, 2026 at 7:15AM ESTKey PointsChevron was in a perfect position to cash in on this year's surge in crude oil prices. Energy Transfer's assets will play a key role in facilitating the flow of oil from the SPR. Williams is capitalizing on surging natural gas demand. Crude prices have skyrocketed this year due to the war with Iran. Brent, the global oil benchmark, has soared more than 60% to around $100 a barrel. Meanwhile, WTI, the primary U.S. oil benchmark, has rocketed 65% to about $95 a barrel. Despite the current ceasefire and peace talks, oil prices could remain elevated for a while since it could be quite some time before the market returns to normal. With that in mind, here are three top energy stocks to buy this month to capitalize on the current market conditions. Image source: Getty Images. Chevron Few energy companies were in a better position to cash in on this year's surge in crude prices than Chevron (CVX 2.21%). The oil giant completed several major capital projects last year and closed its acquisition of Hess. As a result, Chevron initially expected to produce an additional $12.5 billion of free cash flow this year at $70 oil. It's now on track to reap an even bigger windfall, given where crude prices are these days. Chevron will return much of this windfall to shareholders. The oil company will likely repurchase shares at the high end of its $10 billion to $20 billion target range. It repurchased $12.1 billion of shares last year and bought $2.2 billion of Hess stock before the merger closed. Chevron has already increased its dividend (current yield of 3.8%), extending its growth streak to 39 consecutive years. ExpandNYSE: CVXChevronToday's Change(-2.21%) $-4.16Current Price$183.99Key Data PointsMarket Cap$367BDay's Range$177.74 - $184.3052wk Range$132.33 - $214.71Volume16MAvg Vol13MGross Margin14.66%Dividend Yield3.76% Meanwhile, Chevron is in a strong position to continue growing briskly even if oil prices cool off. It expects to grow its free cash flow at a more than 10% compound annual rate through 2030, assuming oil averages $70 a barrel. With its share price up only about 20% this year, Chevron could have a lot more upside, especially if crude prices remain elevated.

Energy Transfer Energy Transfer (ET 0.05%) is a leading pipeline company. The master limited partnership (MLP) -- an entity that sends a Schedule K-1 Federal tax form -- operates crucial midstream infrastructure to support the flow of oil and gas. While it has minimal direct exposure to commodity prices (90% of its earnings come from fees), it benefits from higher volumes. ExpandNYSE: ETEnergy TransferToday's Change(-0.05%) $-0.01Current Price$18.86Key Data PointsMarket Cap$65BDay's Range$18.34 - $18.9052wk Range$15.80 - $19.86Volume14MAvg Vol16MGross Margin12.27%Dividend Yield7.03% Energy Transfer's terminals are crucial to supporting the U.S.

Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The U.S. is tapping into that emergency stockpile this year to help offset some of the disruption caused by the war with Iran. That should benefit Energy Transfer as oil flows out of the SPR and again when the country refills its reserve. While the SPR release will be a near-term catalyst for Energy Transfer's earnings, expansion projects will fuel its growth long after the war ends. It's investing at least $5 billion into growth capital projects this year and has commercially secured projects lined up through 2030. These projects support the MLP's plans to grow its high-yielding distribution (7.1% current yield) by 3% to 5% per year. Williams While oil is the main storyline right now, natural gas is the bigger long-term catalyst in the energy market. Surging power demand to support AI data centers and advanced manufacturing facilities, as well as liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, will fuel a more than 35% increase in U.S. gas demand over the next decade. ExpandNYSE: WMBWilliams CompaniesToday's Change(0.41%) $0.29Current Price$71.15Key Data PointsMarket Cap$87BDay's Range$69.33 - $71.5452wk Range$55.56 - $76.87Volume7.9MAvg Vol7.1MGross Margin41.57%Dividend Yield2.85% Williams (WMB +0.41%) is a leader in natural gas infrastructure. The company's gas pipelines currently deliver about a third of the country's gas demand. It's investing heavily to expand its gas pipeline operations to capitalize on growing demand. Additionally, Williams has expanded its platform to include investments in LNG and power projects. It has already approved over $7 billion in gas-fired power solutions that should come online over the next few years. These investments position Williams to deliver more than 10% compound annual earnings growth through 2030, well above its historical 5% to 7% annual growth target. This high-octane earnings growth will give Williams plenty of fuel to continue increasing its dividend (currently yielding 3%). Well-positioned to thrive long after the war ends The war with Iran has fueled a huge surge in crude prices this year. It will provide a near-term earnings boost for Chevron and Energy Transfer. Meanwhile, they have strong long-term growth catalysts unrelated to the war, as does Williams. Their robust future growth outlooks make them three of the best energy stocks to buy this April. Read NextApr 17, 2026 •By Geoffrey Seiler4 Energy Stocks to Buy Now for Decades of Passive Income, Even at These PricesApr 16, 2026 •By Jack DelaneyThe Clock May Be Ticking on Energy Transfer Stock Trading Under $20 -- Should You Buy Now?Apr 11, 2026 •By Matt DiLalloThe Energy Boom Is Real. These 3 Stocks Are the Smartest Long-Term Buys.Apr 10, 2026 •By Leo SunHere's Why Buying Energy Transfer Today Could Be the Best Financial Decision You Ever MakeApr 10, 2026 •By Geoffrey SeilerThese 3 Energy Dividend Stocks Are a Win-Win: Cheap Valuations and Growing PayoutsApr 8, 2026 •By Matt DiLalloThe Energy Sector Is on Fire.

Is Energy Transfer the Best Way to Play It?About the AuthorMatt DiLallo has been a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst specializing in covering dividend-paying companies, particularly in the energy and REIT sectors, since 2012. He also covers pre-IPO companies, ETFs, and other investing topics. He holds an MBA from Liberty University.TMFmd19X@MatthewDiLalloStocks MentionedEnergy TransferNYSE: ET$18.86(-0.05%)-$0.01ChevronNYSE: CVX$184.08(-2.16%)-$4.07Williams CompaniesNYSE: WMB$71.17(+0.44%)+$0.31*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.