Currently around $87 a barrel, crude oil prices have climbed another 4% over the last month mostly attributed to tighter supplies.

This cotinues to make quite a few stocks in the Zacks Oils & Energy sector attractive. Here are four of these top-rated stocks to consider as they may be able to sustain their growth and lofty dividends.

Oil Producers with High Dividend Yields

Companies involved in oil production can profit immensely when crude prices are high with Evolution Petroleum EPM and Plains Group PAGP being two stocks to watch. Both of these oil production-related stocks sport a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Notably, Evolution Petroleum and Plains Group currently have dividend yields of 5.36% and 6.67% respectively while expecting double-digit percentage growth on their bottom lines. In terms of their dividends, both have yields that tower over the S&P 500’s 1.38% average and the broader Zacks Oils & Energy sectors' 3.47% average.  

More lucrative is that Evolution Petroleum’s earnings are expected to jump 15% this year at $1.11 per share. Fiscal 2024 earnings are expected to dip -2% at $1.08 per share but this would still represent an astonishing 671% EPS growth over the last five years with 2020 earnings at $0.14 a share.

As for Plains Group, its growth trajectory is very appealing as well. Fiscal 2023 earnings are now expected to soar 44% to $1.24 per share versus EPS of $0.96 a share last year. More impressive, FY24 earnings are projected to climb another 32% to $1.64 per share.

Oil Refiners with High Dividend Yields

Oil refiners that break down the commodity into other products such as gasoline and kerosene don’t always benefit from high crude prices but CVR Energy’s CVI stock has remained compelling with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

CVR Energy has a 5.76% dividend yield at the moment with the company coming off a stellar year that saw earnings at $6.04 a share in 2022. Although CVR Energy's bottom line is expected to contract after such an exceptional year earnings estimate revisions have soared over the last 60 days.

After beating Q2 earnings expectations by 36% in late July, CVR Energy's FY23 earnings estimates have now soared 44% in the last two months with FY24 EPS estimates soaring 14%.

Pivoting to Global Partners GLP which sports a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), the trend in earnings estimates is also intriguing and alludes to the potential of more upside in GLP shares. Fiscal 2023 earnings estimates are up 1% over the last 60 days with FY24 EPS estimates rising 7%. Plus, Global Partners has a very lucrative 8.39% dividend yield at the moment.

Takeaway

In addition to their favorable Zacks ranking, these top-rated oils and energy sector stocks have an overall “A” VGM Zacks Style Scores grade for the combination of Value, Growth, and Momentum.

With crude prices remaining higher, these oil refiners and producers look poised to benefit and have stellar dividends to support investors.

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