When tankers face fresh attacks in the Strait of Hormuz and shipping traffic through this vital route falls from more than 130 to just 5 crossings per day, oil and gas shipping stocks suddenly sit in the spotlight for reasons that go far beyond freight charts. This kind of stress can reshape risk, pricing and insurance. This article walks through three stocks exposed to this news and explains why their stories may matter for your portfolio decisions.

The three stocks covered next are only a starting sample, and the full screen surfaced 12 more oil and gas shipping companies with equally compelling stories that are not included in this article. If you want to identify and analyze potential higher conviction tanker opportunities right now, head straight to the Global Oil & Gas Shipping and Tanker Operators screener.

Okeanis Eco Tankers (OB:OET)

Overview: Okeanis Eco Tankers is a Greece based pure play crude oil shipper, running a young fleet of 16 large tankers that are mostly Suezmax and VLCC vessels moving oil on long haul sea routes worldwide. That focus on big crude carriers places the company squarely in the middle of the tanker theme, where route length, chokepoints like Hormuz and day rate swings can quickly change earnings power.

Operations: Okeanis Eco Tankers generates about US$706 million in revenue from tanker vessels, with its crude shipping activity concentrated on customers in Europe at about US$423 million and Asia at about US$232 million, and smaller exposure to North and South America.

Market Cap: NOK22.8 billion

Okeanis Eco Tankers gives you focused exposure to the crude tanker trade at a time when Hormuz disruptions and rerouted flows are stretching voyage distances and keeping the spotlight on large carriers. The company has a modern, fuel efficient VLCC and Suezmax fleet and has reported record quarters and a long dividend track record, which together can indicate strong fleet utilization and cash generation when conditions are supportive. At the same time, analysts expect earnings and revenue to decline over the next few years, and the dividend has leaned heavily on current cash flows, so weaker freight markets or higher financing costs could affect results. For investors interested in how chokepoint risk and long haul crude routes influence tanker cash flows, this stock may warrant closer attention.

Okeanis Eco Tankers looks like a pure play on long haul crude routes, yet the real story may sit in how its cash flows stack up against chokepoint risk and fleet age. Get the full context in the 2 key rewards and 5 important warning signs (2 are major!)

DHT Holdings (DHT)

Overview: DHT Holdings is a Bermuda headquartered company that owns and operates a fleet of very large crude carriers that move oil on long haul sea routes, giving investors direct exposure to crude oil shipping and VLCC freight rates across key export hubs such as the Middle East and import regions in Asia and beyond.

Operations: DHT Holdings generates about US$799 million in revenue from its fleet of crude oil tankers.

Market Cap: US$3.1b

For investors who want pure exposure to the Global Oil & Gas Shipping and Tanker Operators theme, DHT Holdings offers a focused VLCC fleet that is tightly linked to crude trade flows, chokepoints like Hormuz and the rerouting now reshaping ton mile demand. Recent quarters have shown how sensitive its earnings can be to spikes in day rates. The stock trades at a low P/E compared with many peers and has a high dividend yield that depends on robust free cash flow. Forecasts point to earnings and revenue pressure, and the business is financed entirely through external borrowing, so tanker cycles, insurance costs and access to credit all matter. That mix of tanker rate upside and balance sheet and dividend risk is what makes DHT worth a closer look for theme driven investors.

DHT Holdings combines a low P/E and high dividend yield with a VLCC fleet that operates in tanker cycles. Get the full story in the 3 key rewards and 4 important warning signs (2 are major!)

Nordic American Tankers (NAT)

Overview: Nordic American Tankers is a Bermuda based crude oil shipping company that owns and charters a fleet of 20 Suezmax double hull tankers, putting it firmly in the middle of the Global Oil & Gas Shipping and Tanker Operators theme where earnings are closely linked to spot and term freight rates. The company carries crude for oil majors, traders and refiners on international routes, so changing trade patterns and chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz feed directly into its revenue potential.

Operations: Nordic American Tankers generates about US$334 million in revenue from its Suezmax crude oil tanker fleet.

Market Cap: US$1.5b

Nordic American Tankers gives you pure Suezmax exposure to the same tanker routes now being reshaped by attack risk and disrupted traffic through Hormuz, which can affect spot rates, insurance and route length in ways that feed straight into earnings. Recent results show higher net income, wider margins and a Q1 2026 dividend of US$0.22 per share. However, revenue is forecast to decline over the next few years and the dividend is not well covered by earnings or free cash flow. Combined with a high P/E, meaningful reliance on external borrowing and a board with relatively low independence, this is a tanker pure play where income appeal and rate leverage come with balance sheet and governance considerations that may warrant closer inspection.

Nordic American Tankers offers pure Suezmax exposure with income appeal, while also presenting balance sheet and governance questions. Get the fuller picture in the 2 key rewards and 3 important warning signs (2 are major!)

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.