oil

It's almost automatic: As soon as gas prices go up, the media rushes to offer suggestions for saving money on fuel. But rather than recycling all the old familiar ideas, DailyFinance asked its readers for their best suggestions to reduce pain at the pump, and you gave us some unusual options.

Exxon Mobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips are all trading near multi-year highs, and even BP shares have done well recently. Still, while the high oil prices that have been pinching consumers have been great for the industry, there are good reasons not to count on those high stock values lasting.

Saudi Arabian Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi said his country cut oil production in March because the market was oversupplied. Was this move an honest bid to a bid to expose the speculators and push prices back down, or an attempt to capitalize on the current instability to propel prices higher?

Given rising oil costs and China's rising position as an oil consumer, betting against Chinese oil companies is a seriously contrarian move. Here's why it may also be the right way to go.

As gas prices go up and new oil wells go down, Vantage drilling looks like a promising stock. With a fresh stock of new equipment and a host of contracts around the world, the drilling contractor is poised to be a major force for the next few years.

We know some of the reasons oil currently costs over $100 a barrel -- growing Asian markets and Mideast turmoil. But a significant premium in the price of oil stems from speculation, which has recently skyrocketed as traders and fund managers seek out commodity and global growth plays.

With U.S. gas prices near historic highs, Americans are anxious about the cost of filling up. But we still feel far less pain at the pump than drivers in many other developed nations. On the flip side, if you drive in the right world cities, you can still pay less than $1 a gallon.

As soon as oil prices rise, it takes little time before drivers begin to feel the pain at the pump. But it takes far longer for price decreases to reach consumers. Here's why.

The economy has had more than its share of trouble lately: Japan's earthquake comes on top of rising oil and food prices, political turmoil in the Middle East and a crop of government austerity measures. But investing opportunities lie hidden behind the bad news.

The U.S. services sector is growing strong, providing additional evidence that the U.S. economy is recovering and might not need more stimulus funding. But that's contingent upon oil staying below $120 per barrel.