Energy Stocks Ride Oil Price Surge to Record Payouts

The recent surge in Brent crude to $95.40 per barrel has put pressure on the inflation cooldown, which had been trending downward since last year. Despite this, three energy stocks stand out as potentially benefiting from the oil price increase: Chevron (NYSE:CVX), Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM), and Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD).

Chevron is paying a quarterly dividend of $1.78 per share, up from $1.71 last year, with a forward annualized payout of $7.12 and a current yield of 3.16%. The company's record production levels and strong balance sheet position it to capitalize on higher oil prices.

Exxon Mobil has the strongest balance sheet in the industry, with debt-to-equity at 0.17 and interest coverage at 56.3x. Despite a temporary loss of upstream production from Middle East disruption, Exxon delivered industry-leading earnings and cash flow in its second quarter.

Enterprise Products Partners is paying a quarterly distribution of $0.56 per unit, up from $0.55 last month, with a forward annualized payout of $2.24 per unit. The company's master limited partnership structure generates fee-based midstream volumes, making it less dependent on crude prices.