Better Energy Stock: TotalEnergies vs. Chevron

For investors, choosing between two similar companies to add to a portfolio can be a challenging process. Chevron (NYSE: CVX) and TotalEnergies (NYSE: TTE) offer a great example of this. Both are integrated energy giants. Both stocks offer high yields. But they have slightly different positive and negative attributes. So which one might be the better fit for your dividend portfolio?

What do Chevron and TotalEnergies do?

As integrated energy companies, Chevron and TotalEnergies have operations in the upstream segment (oil and natural gas production), the midstream segment (energy transportation), and the downstream segment (chemicals and refining). Each part of the energy industry operates a little differently from the others, and having exposure across all of them helps soften the impacts that volatile commodity prices can have on their results.

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Oil and natural gas prices are still the main driver of each company's financial results, and have huge impacts on their stock prices. But compared to pure-play drillers or chemical companies, Chevron and TotalEnergies tend to get through the typical energy cycle more easily. Each of these companies also has material geographic diversification. That said, Chevron is a U.S. company and it tends to have more exposure to its home market. TotalEnergies is a French company and it tends to have more exposure to Europe. Overall, however, the energy businesses are fairly similar.

But these two companies are not interchangeable. That is highlighted by the fact that at their current share prices, Chevron's dividend yield is 4.8% and TotalEnergies yield is 6.5%. And the differences matter here.

How are Chevron and TotalEnergies different?

If you are an income investor, you'll be interested to know that Chevron has increased its dividend annually for 38 consecutive years. That's an impressive record given the inherent volatility of the energy sector. TotalEnergies's track record isn't as impressive, but it has gone through different dividend policies. Like most European companies it was a semi-annual payer before more recently shifting to quarterly payments. And for a stretch it targeted a set percentage of free cash flow, which meant its dividend varied. However, it has paid dividends for decades and more recently has focused on a progressive dividend, meaning it has been steadily increasing its payouts of late.

Notably, however, when its European peers BP and Shell cut their dividends in 2020, TotalEnergies maintained its dividend, with management specifically stating that it was aware of the importance of the payment to its shareholders. On dividend reliability, Chevron wins, but TotalEnergies isn't exactly a bad deal.

Chevron's balance sheet is among the strongest of its closest peer group, with a debt-to-equity ratio of around 0.2. TotalEnergies' debt-to-equity ratio is 0.5. That's much higher, of course, but TotalEnergies carries more debt and more cash. For example, Chevron ended the first quarter of 2025 with around $4.6 billion in cash on its balance sheet while TotalEnergies had $29 billion. Having less debt is better than having more debt and more cash, but TotalEnergies is still a financially strong company. This point is probably a wash.

TotalEnergies is making a public push to use its fossil fuel profits to expand into the electricity space, with a focus on renewable power. This part of the business made up around 10% of its adjusted net operating income in 2024. Chevron is sticking more closely to its core oil and natural gas operations. If you are looking for an energy company that is adjusting today for a future world that relies more on clean energy, TotalEnergies is the easy winner.

To be fair, BP and Shell have both discussed doing something similar. But they each used a clean energy shift as the excuse for their 2020 dividend cuts. Then, they both walked back their clean energy plans. TotalEnergies actually made the change and didn't resort to a dividend cut. So it stands out from Chevron, BP, and Shell when it comes to renewable energy.

Which one will you pick?

Chevron is facing some company-specific issues right now, including an acquisition that isn't going as well as hoped and some geopolitical upheaval around its operations in Venezuela. That's why its yield is so attractive relative to U.S. peer ExxonMobil, which has a yield of just 3.8%. TotalEnergies' dividend yield isn't quite as good as it looks, meanwhile, because U.S. investors have to pay French fees and taxes on it (though some of that can be claimed back come April 15). All in all, there are a lot of positives and negatives to consider with these two high-yield integrated energy giants.

My preference is to err on the side of clean energy since the world is clearly in the middle of an energy transition. Add in the lofty yield and management's dividend support during the pandemic, and it's clear that TotalEnergies is a better fit for my portfolio based on my general beliefs about the future of the energy sector and income desires. But there's a strong case to be made for investing in Chevron, too, particularly if you prefer to keep your taxes as simple as possible and if you prize dividend consistency as much as dividend yield.

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Reuben Gregg Brewer has positions in TotalEnergies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chevron. The Motley Fool recommends BP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.