10 Public Companies That Profit Massively From Low Fuel Prices

For the last five years, American workers and taxpayers have been pummeled with overpriced gas prices and state taxes on fuel which have caused high inflation, high food prices, low GDP, expensive heating oil, and widespread economic suffering.

Fuel prices are the most powerful and immediate forces shaping corporate success, better wages/buying power, and lower inflation in the United States.

When gasoline, diesel, and transport fuel in the U.S. falls toward the $2-per-gallon range, entire sectors experience a surge in earnings because transportation and energy are among their largest operational expenses.

For many of America's biggest public companies — ranging from airlines and parcel carriers to railroads, e-commerce giants, and global cruise operators — fuel can represent 20% to 40% of total costs. Even a brief period of low prices can translate into 10–40% higher net profits, improved cash flow, and stronger competitiveness.

These savings cascade across the broader economy as well: lower transport and energy costs reduce: the price of food, consumer goods, construction materials, costs of running government, and home utilities, while also stimulating travel and retail spending.

At the same time, cheaper energy directly benefits fast-growing sectors such as artificial intelligence, where data centers depend heavily on electricity for servers and cooling —meaning higher supply of fuel with lower fuel and power costs further expand services of the world’s largest tech companies and boosts profits too.

In this environment, low energy prices act not merely as a discount at the pump, but as a nationwide economic accelerator.

Last year I was teaching young MBA students in Beijing and the China Agricultural University for a few days.

We talked about global strategy, demographics, Asia, and Energy.

When I said out loud that lower energy prices are good for China, I had to explain that the cost of exports goes up dramatically with the higher cost of energy.

Thus, lower energy prices are good for everyone including sellers and buyers.

As with young Americans, I asked the Beijing class where most of their money was spent, and rent and groceries were the top areas of spending.

Also, China and Greater Asia are engaging a dramatic push toward Nuclear with 2 Billion people in the East and South China, and this nuclear expansion will lower energy prices, alleviate the AI “energy needs” concerns, assist with EVs and other energy demands, and also help boost productivity.

In the last five years, Americans have learned that extreme leftist policies related to fuel, regulations and energy robs Americans on Main Street of all of their money, buying power and savings.

Voters also finally understand that after 4 years of Biden’s energy related inflation, that awful urban fuel prices hurt women, minorities and the poor the most.

Further, now that energy prices are coming down, there are many industries set to benefit.

The following analysis below identifies major public companies that profit most from cheap fuel and outlines the key industries that stand to gain the most from sustained low energy prices.

Keep in mind, lower costs boost company profits, but also lowers prices to those in need.

1. UPS (UPS)

United Parcel Service operates vast global ground and air networks. Fuel is a major operating expense. Lower gasoline and diesel prices reduce per-delivery costs, enhance margins, and increase competitiveness in the parcel and freight markets.

2. FedEx Corporation (FDX)

FedEx benefits from lower prices across its delivery, trucking, and global air cargo segments. Cheap fuel improves profitability in its Express Air division and strengthens margins systemwide.

3. Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN)

Amazon’s logistics empire — Amazon Air, last-mile delivery vans, and long-haul trucking partners—consumes immense amounts of fuel. Low gasoline and diesel prices significantly reduce Amazon’s transportation costs, helping maintain low prices, profits, and fast shipping.

4. Southwest Airlines (LUV)

Southwest’s point-to-point, high-frequency flight network is highly sensitive to jet fuel costs. Lower fuel prices provide better deals to consumers but boost profit margins and allow the airline to retain its low-fare competitive advantage.

5. United Airlines Holdings (UAL)

United benefits enormously from cheaper jet fuel, especially on long-haul international routes. Lower energy costs directly improve route economics, the number of flights available, and enhance profitability across the carrier’s global network.

6. Carnival Corporation (CCL)

Cruise lines burn massive amounts of marine bunker fuel. When oil prices fall, Carnival’s voyage costs drop sharply, allowing better cruise deals, stronger profit margins and more competitive fare pricing.

7. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH)

Like Carnival, Norwegian’s profitability is highly sensitive to marine fuel prices. Cheaper energy reduces operating expenses, increases the number of cruises, and strengthens cash flow across the fleet.

8. Union Pacific Corporation (UNP)

As one of America’s largest freight railroads, Union Pacific relies heavily on diesel-powered locomotives. Lower fuel costs improve margins and enhance its cost advantage over trucking.

9. CSX Corporation (CSX)

CSX benefits similarly from declines in diesel prices. Railroads gain operating leverage from lower fuel costs and often maintain pricing power even as expenses drop.

10. XPO, Inc. (XPO)

XPO, a major trucking, freight brokerage, and logistics company, sees a substantial boost when diesel prices fall. Lower transportation costs improve profitability across its LTL and intermodal operations.

II. Industries That Benefit the Most From Lower Fuel Prices

Beyond individual companies, entire sectors of the economy expand output, increase profitability, or reduce operating costs when fuel prices decline. Here are five to ten industries that benefit significantly from sustained cheap energy.

1. Commercial Fishing and Maritime Harvesting

Fishing boats, trawlers, and long-line vessels rely heavily on diesel. When fuel prices fall:

—The cost of running boats declines,

—Profit margins rise,

—Fleets can fish farther at lower cost,

—Seafood prices may stabilize or fall.

This benefits both small operators and large commercial fleets.

2. Agriculture, Crop Farming, and Harvesting

Farmers rely on fuel for:

—Tractors, combines, plows, and tillers,

—Irrigation pumps,

—Grain drying operations,

—Fertilizer production (energy-intensive).

Lower fuel prices reduce input costs and improve profitability for crop producers, especially in corn, wheat, soybeans, cotton, and rice.

3. Cattle, Beef, and Livestock Production

Livestock operations benefit because:

—Feed transportation costs decline,

—Ranch operations consume fuel for equipment and transport,

—Refrigerated trucking becomes cheaper.

Lower fuel prices can improve margins in beef, pork, poultry, and dairy production.

4. Shipping, Freight, and Logistics Services

All segments of freight—including trucking, rail, intermodal, and maritime shipping—benefit from lower fuel costs. Cheaper transportation reduces the cost of goods nationwide, stimulating commerce.

5. Tourism, Hospitality, and Leisure Travel

Cheaper gasoline increases:

—Domestic road travel,

—Hotel bookings,

—Theme park attendance,

— Vacation spending,

— Cruise demand.

Lower airfare and fuel-based savings stimulate discretionary consumer spending.

6. Construction and Heavy Equipment Operations

Construction machinery such as bulldozers, excavators, cranes, and generators run heavily on fuel. Lower energy costs:

—Reduce project expenses,

—Widen contractor margins,

—Stimulate building and development.

7. Retailers Dependent on Supply Chains

Major retailers (Walmart, Target, Costco) benefit from cheaper shipping and freight as inventory arrives at lower cost. This allows more competitive pricing and stronger margins.

8. Food Distribution and Grocery Supply Chains

Fuel is a substantial cost in moving produce, meats, dairy, and packaged groceries. Lower energy prices reduce the cost of stocking shelves nationwide.

9. E-commerce and Delivery Services

Low fuel prices support companies like:

—UPS,

—FedEx,

—Amazon,

—DHL,

—Regional courier and last-mile firms.

Every package delivered becomes cheaper when gasoline and diesel fall.

10. Heavy Manufacturing and Warehousing

Manufacturers move thousands of tons of materials daily. Lower diesel and transport costs reduce the cost of raw materials, finished goods, and distribution.

Conclusion

If gasoline and diesel remain near $2 per gallon, many fuel-intensive industries could temporarily enjoy 10–40% higher net profits, because fuel represents such a large share of their operating expenses.

Trucking and logistics companies, where fuel accounts for 25–40% of total costs, would see an immediate boost to margins; airlines, with 20–35% of expenses tied to jet fuel, would capture similar upside; agriculture, construction, and delivery services—each carrying 15-40% fuel exposure—would all benefit materially.

If these lower prices persist for six months to a year, the effects ripple across the economy: food prices, utilities, manufacturing inputs, transportation fees, homebuilding costs, and consumer goods all tend to fall or stabilize, easing inflation pressure and improving household purchasing power.

At the same time, AI companies would become even more profitable, because the cost of running data centers — heavily influenced by energy and cooling expenses — would drop.

This undercuts the narrative of an impending "AI stock market crash," since most major AI operations are secondary revenue engines inside already highly profitable businesses such as search, cloud, social media, and mobile ecosystems.

Lower energy input costs simply expand margins further, meaning sustained low fuel prices strengthen AI economics rather than weaken them.

Low fuel prices ripple through the entire U.S. economy.

They directly improve profits for major public companies such as UPS, FDX, AMZN, LUV, UAL, CCL, NCLH, UNP, CSX, and XPO, while providing broad economic tailwinds to industries such as fishing, agriculture, livestock, construction, shipping, retail, tourism, and manufacturing.

Energy-sensitive names that historically benefited during sub-$2 gas windows

—Airlines: Southwest (LUV), Delta (DAL) — fuel is a major cost; sub-$2 gas typically aligns with lower jet fuel, supporting margins.

—Logistics: FedEx (FDX), UPS (UPS)—cheaper diesel improves cost per mile and operating leverage.

—Retail: Walmart (WMT), Target (TGT), Dollar General (DG)—lower fill-up costs boost foot traffic and discretionary spend.

—Automakers: Ford (F), GM (GM)—stronger sales of trucks/SUVs when fuel is inexpensive.

Cheap energy doesn't just reduce costs and inflation — it stimulates travel, commerce, production, exports, and consumer spending.

It acts as an economic accelerator that strengthens profitability across nearly every sector dependent on transportation and logistics.

Most of all, it increases the discretionary income on main street so that working families have money to save, buy things, send kids to college, buy a home or car, pay for health care, or even retire.

Over the last five years, the MSIT or "Mentz Stealth Inflation Theory" has proven to be true where the Federal Reserve rates create continued artificial inflation. ^[i] With high inflation, interest rates, and expensive energy over the last five years, these factors have created hyperinflation and caused most of the discretionary money to be sucked out of the economy directly to banks and oil and gas companies and for government taxes, fees, and regulations.

If this money is put back into the hands of Main Street and small business, the economy and GDP could have a bull market for as long as costs remain low and reasonable.

Commissioner George Mentz JD MBA CILS CWM® holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD), and an MBA from ABA and AACSB Accredited programs. Mentz is the first in the USA to rank as a Top 50 Influencer & Thought Leader in: Management, PM, HR, FinTech, EdTech, Wealth Management, and B2B according to Onalytica.com and Thinkers360.com. George Mentz JD MBA CILS is a CWM Chartered Wealth Manager ®, global speaker - educator, tax-economist, international lawyer and CEO of the GAFM Global Academy of Finance & Management ®. The GAFM is a EU accredited graduate body that trains and certifies professionals in 150+ nations under standards of the: US Dept of Education, ACBSP, ISO 21001, ISO 991, ISO 29993, QAHE, ECLBS, and ISO 29990 standards. Mentz is also an award-winning author and award winning graduate law professor of wealth management of one of the top 25 ranked law schools in the USA and is founder of the ChE Chartered Economist ® certification & education programs. George Mentz has served as a White House Commissioner, and has served the Civil Service Commission for Police and Fire and the Airport Commission (Home of Space Force). Comm'r Mentz is one of the few lawyers who has ever earned Wall Street Firm licenses of Series 7,63, and 65 , served as a Judge for the ABA, has led civil litigation cases in fraud and defamation, as well as testified as an expert in FINRA/NASD financial arbitration.

Citations:

—EIA. “Economic drivers of U.S. airline industry fuel consumption.”
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=51658
— Confirms fuel is one of the largest cost components for airlines (20–30%+).

· BTS. Airline Fuel Cost and Consumption (Monthly).
https://www.transtats.bts.gov/fuel.asp
—Documents fuel as a major variable operating cost for airlines; useful for UPS, FedEx,

—Federal Reserve FRED. Consumer Price Index components: Energy vs. Food vs. Transportation. https://fred.stlouisfed.org — Shows correlation between high fuel costs and higher food & transportation inflation.

—IEA. “Impact of Oil Prices on the Global Economy.”
https://www.iea.org/commentaries
—Confirms low oil prices stimulate global economic activity, exports, and manufacturing.

—International Monetary Fund. “Oil Prices and the Global Economy.”
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications — Shows that low oil prices increase GDP and consumer purchasing power.

—USDA ERS. “Food Price Outlook”
https://www.ers.usda.gov — Demonstrates how fuel and transportation costs directly raise prices for groceries and food distribution.

—AAR. “Railroads and Energy.”
https://www.aar.org — Documents diesel as a major cost component for rail systems like UNP and CSX.

—OECD. “Effects of Energy Prices on Industrial Competitiveness.”
https://www.oecd.org/energy — Shows that manufacturing, logistics, and heavy industry benefit from low energy inputs.

—S&P Global Commodity Insights. Jet Fuel Market Reports.
https://www.spglobal.com/commodityinsights — Confirms how sensitive airlines, trucking companies, and logistics firms are to changes in fuel prices.

· World Bank. “Global Economic Prospects: Commodity Markets.”
https://www.worldbank.org — Shows the macroeconomic benefits of low oil and fuel prices for global trade, exports, and consumer well-being.