The $15 Gold Fund That Pays Up to $1,152/Month (From Investors Alley)

Despite best efforts of the Trump administration to tease down gas prices amid the ongoing Iran war, the price at the pump has remained stubbornly elevated. While this may hurt investors as they drive their cars, it does present an opportunity. Rather than just buying oil producers, thoughtful investors may seek out stronger opportunities among refiners, fuel distributors, and even convenience store and gas station companies.

Companies like Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX), HF Sinclair (NYSE: DINO), and CrossAmerica Partners LP (NYSE: CAPL) stand to profit from higher margins and strong fuel demand. They each provide access to a different niche with a unique link to gasoline prices and other factors as well, helping to diversify in case of turbulence in another corner of the market.

Phillips 66 Is a Diversified Refiner That Stands Apart

Refining is a major earnings driver for oil and gas companies, particularly in periods of elevated fuel prices. Phillips 66 has a core refining business that is thriving—it helped to drive an $8.5-billion revenue beat and a major earnings beat in Q2 2026—but it also benefits from midstream assets, a chemicals business, export infrastructure, and much more.

This can enable Phillips to smooth out its results amid industry turbulence, even as it continues to benefit from expanding gasoline or diesel margins.

Crack spreads across the refining industry are lingering above historical averages thanks to supply disruptions related to the Iran war and other factors. This means that Phillips and other refiners can generate better margins on each barrel they process, leading to billions in quarterly profits and helping refiners buy back shares in large quantities.

With its Gulf Coast footprint, Phillips benefits from both domestic and export markets. This means the company may continue to benefit if gasoline prices stay elevated as a result of continued constrained refining capacity. Analysts see this, as two-thirds have called PSX shares a Buy, even as they caution that the share price may fall somewhat in the near-term.

HF Sinclair Brings Leverage to the Calculation

HF Sinclair relies more heavily on refining operations, meaning profits may grow rapidly when crack spreads widen. This also makes the company particularly sensitive to refining margins.

While this can be a positive under the right conditions, it also means HF Sinclair is more susceptible to refining margin pressure, resulting in steep earnings declines.

Recently, this has worked out very well for HF Sinclair, as the company has generated 53% year over year (YOY) revenue gains in the latest quarter alone, made all the better by adjusted net income that roughly tripled over the same period.

Higher throughput and operational execution also helped to drive these results, and the company rounded out its performance with the help of renewables and its lubricants and specialty products businesses.

Shares of HF Sinclair are already up 130% year to date (YTD), which has prompted analysts to speculate that the firm may reset downward a bit. However, if gasoline prices remain high, it may be able to prolong this adjustment.

A Retail-Based Approach Provides Variety

For investors seeking a different approach entirely, CrossAmerica Partners provides access to a master limited partnership, owning and leasing fuel distribution and convenience stores across the country.

Retail gasoline margins may function somewhat independently of wholesale prices, but when fuel demand remains high, it can lead to higher volumes for these companies, along with strong in-store sales and even better rental income.

Fuel distributors are in many ways a defensive business, owing to consumers' reliance on gasoline even when the economy slows. This could insulate CrossAmerica Partners compared to some of its rivals in the industry when gas demand and prices eventually drop once again.

The Case for Gas-Price-Linked Stocks Remains Strong

All of these companies appear poised to do well so long as gasoline prices stay high, and there are plenty of reasons to expect that this will, in fact, be the case. Geopolitical risks remain deeply enmeshed in the industry's performance. Global refining capacity is still constrained. Diesel markets are light, with inventories reaching low levels that help to push refining margins upward.

To be sure, there are other companies in the oil and gas business that may benefit from continued high prices. Pipeline and midstream firms, for instance, benefit when production volumes are high, even if they are less directly linked to gasoline prices. When it comes to gas-price-linked shares, however, the three companies above may be an investor's first place to start.

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Anthropic's Revenue Surged 80X Ahead of Its IPO Filing (From Weiss Ratings)

Three very different companies are set to test their narratives within weeks of one another. GameStop (NYSE: GME), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), and Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) each face a distinct catalyst this month: an earnings report, a product launch, and a developer showcase. Each event could either firm up the bull case or deepen the doubts already surrounding the stock.

The question for investors is what each catalyst needs to prove.

GameStop: Look Past the Investment Gains

GameStop reports earnings on Sept. 8, and the challenge is separating the underlying business from the financial engineering. The company recently turned its failed pursuit of eBay into a nearly $5 billion equity investment, a position expected to boost the quarter's profit. That is the kind of headline that flatters results while saying little about the health of the core operation.

The core is where the scrutiny belongs. GameStop generates annual revenue of $3.63 billion, but the retail business has been shrinking for years. Much of its reported net income of $418 million comes from investment activity and interest income rather than from game sales. What investors need to see is a credible plan for the company's enormous cash pile and retail footprint, rather than merely acting as a holding vehicle for equity stakes and convertible debt. The stock trades at a reasonable-looking price-to-earnings (P/E) of about 15, but it carries a Hold consensus rating, with no analyst price targets. The Sept. 8 report needs to show the operating business still has a pulse. Otherwise, the story remains one of balance-sheet maneuvering rather than genuine turnaround.

Apple: The Upgrade Cycle on the Line

Apple holds its marquee product event on Sept. 9, and the stakes are absolutely higher than usual. The stock has climbed nearly 20% this year and trades roughly 5% away from its record highs. But it does so at a rich valuation of nearly 38 times earnings, with analysts projecting just 9% earnings growth ahead. That combination leaves little room for disappointment, and the average analyst price target of $330.61 sits essentially where the stock already trades.

For the bull case to strengthen, the event needs to deliver a genuine reason to upgrade. Reports point to a foldable iPhone, new premium models, and a long-awaited overhaul of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence. All of it arrives as the company navigates the transition from Tim Cook to John Ternus as CEO. The key question is whether these products can reignite a hardware upgrade cycle that has felt sluggish, and whether Apple's cautious approach to AI can finally translate into features compelling enough to drive device upgrades. A well-received foldable and a credible Apple Intelligence story would support the premium. Anything that looks incremental, at this valuation, could leave the stock exposed.

Meta: Proof That the Spending Is Working

Meta Platforms takes the stage at its Connect conference on Sept. 23 and 24, and the event doubles as a referendum on its enormous bet on AI and the metaverse. Unlike Apple, Meta enters its catalyst as a laggard this year, down roughly 8%. Yet it remains the top-ranked stock in the communication services sector on MarketBeat and carries an average price target implying more than 28% upside. Momentum has been building too, with shares climbing after the successful release of its latest Muse Spark AI model.

Connect is where Meta must show that its spending produces commercially meaningful products, not just impressive demos. Investors will focus on its AI glasses and broader wearables strategy, the company's most tangible consumer hardware bet. They will also watch for new AI capabilities and any sign that the money-losing Reality Labs division is inching toward relevance. Meta's advertising engine remains a powerhouse, and it funds all of this. But the market has grown impatient for evidence that the tens of billions poured into next-generation computing will eventually pay off. Strong, shippable products would validate the strategy.

3 Stocks, 3 Catalysts

Three companies, three catalysts, and one shared test: each must convert a moment of attention into proof that its strategy is working. For GameStop, that means showing there is a business and an intention behind the balance sheet, and for Apple, it means reigniting the upgrade cycle. For Meta, proving the spending turns into products people will actually buy. By early October, investors will know a great deal more about which narratives strengthened and which cracks widened.

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