The Smartest Energy Stocks to Buy With $100 Right Now

By Reuben Gregg Brewer – Mar 9, 2026 at 5:35AM ESTKey PointsEnterprise Products Partners is a midstream giant, with energy demand being more important than energy prices.TotalEnergies is an integrated energy giant that has started to include electricity in the mix.Oil and natural gas prices have always been volatile. That's just the nature of the sector. Despite knowing this, Wall Street seems to tie itself in knots every time prices move too much in one direction. To be fair, the geopolitical concerns that are upending the energy sector today are huge, newsworthy events. But that's how Wall Street tends to react. What should savvy investors who are prepared to deal with energy price volatility (both good and bad) do? Here are two suggestions for investors who happen to have $100 (or any amount, really) to consider. Image source: Getty Images.

Enterprise Products Partners is just a middleman One way to avoid most of the volatility associated with energy prices is to buy an energy business that doesn't have a huge stake in the rise and fall of oil and natural gas prices.

Enterprise Products Partners (EPD +0.75%) is a great option. This midstream master limited partnership (MLP) owns energy assets, such as pipelines, that help move oil and natural gas around the world. It charges fees for the use of its assets, so the volume of the energy asset flowing through its system is more important than the price of that energy asset. The consistency of Enterprise's business is highlighted by its 27-year streak of annual distribution increases. That's basically as long as the MLP has been public. Its distributable cash flow in 2025 covered its distribution by a wide 1.7x, as well, so there is a lot of wiggle room to deal with any potential adversity. When you add in a lofty 5.8% yield, you can see why dividend lovers might want to take a closer look at Enterprise even as oil markets get more complicated. ExpandNYSE: EPDEnterprise Products PartnersToday's Change(0.75%) $0.28Current Price$37.57Key Data PointsMarket Cap$81BDay's Range$37.31 - $37.7752wk Range$27.77 - $37.77Volume12KAvg Vol4.4MGross Margin12.86%Dividend Yield5.79% TotalEnergies is more diversified If you want more direct exposure to energy, you should probably stick with integrated energy companies. These businesses are globally diversified and have assets across the energy value chain. This means it manages oil, natural gas, wind, solar, and other electricity-generating assets and operates in both the upstream and downstream sectors of the energy industry. That diversification helps to smooth out the impact of volatile energy prices. However, TotalEnergies (TTE +2.26%) stands out from the pack. ExpandNYSE: TTETotalEnergies SeToday's Change(2.26%) $1.74Current Price$78.77Key Data PointsMarket Cap$167BDay's Range$77.48 - $79.4452wk Range$52.90 - $82.21Volume31KAvg Vol1.5MGross Margin11.49%Dividend Yield6.02% For starters, TotalEnergies offers an attractive 5% yield (U.S. investors must pay French taxes on dividends, though a portion of that can be claimed back at tax time). However, the really exciting difference between TotalEnergies and its peers is the company's effort to expand in the clean energy and electricity spaces. In 2025, its integrated power division accounted for around 12% of its overall business. That provides the company with an even bigger offset to volatile energy prices than its closest peers. Oil and gas prices go up and down Geopolitical events have pushed oil prices higher. They will eventually come back down again if history is any guide.

Enterprise Products Partners and TotalEnergies both trade for less than $100 per share and offer you a way to offset some of the inherent commodity risk you face when you invest in the energy sector. You could rush into an opportunistic energy trade, or you could think strategically about the long-term nature of the energy sector. Most investors should do the latter.Read NextMar 1, 2026 •By Matt DiLallo3 High-Yielding Dividend Stocks I Can't Wait to Buy for Passive Income in MarchFeb 26, 2026 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerWant Passive Income in 2026? 3 High-Yield Stocks to Research (and Their Risks)Feb 22, 2026 •By Courtney Carlsen2 No-Brainer High-Yield Energy Stocks to Buy for Reliable Income Right NowFeb 21, 2026 •By Keith SpeightsWhy I Can't Stop Buying This 6%-Yielding Passive Income PowerhouseFeb 17, 2026 •By Leo SunWhere Will Enterprise Products Partners (EPD) Stock Be in 5 Years?Feb 14, 2026 •By Matt DiLallo3 Dividend Stocks I Love to Buy for Passive IncomeAbout the AuthorReuben Gregg Brewer is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering energy, utilities, REITs, and consumer staples. He is the former director of research at Value Line Publishing, where he rose from mutual fund analyst to equity analyst before leading all research operations. Reuben holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Purchase, a master’s in social work from Columbia University, and an MBA from Regis University. He has been featured as a financial expert on CNBC and in the Financial Times, Barron’s, and InvestmentNews.TMFReubenGBrewerStocks MentionedEnterprise Products PartnersNYSE: EPD$37.57(+0.75%)+$0.28TotalEnergies SeNYSE: TTE$78.77(+2.26%)+$1.74*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.