On Oct 3, Halcon Resources Corporation HKwas raised to a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), implying that the stock will significantly outperform the broader U.S. equity market over the next one to three months.Why the Upgrade?Recent positive revisions have lifted the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Halcon Resources' 2018 earnings to a breakeven from a loss of 13 cents over the past 60 days. The stock has also seen the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2019 earnings being revised to 25 cents from 18 cents during the same time frame.Halcon Resources is among the leading explorers and producers in the Delaware Basin. The company’s operations spread across 59,680 net acres, with 2,072 potential drilling locations in the basin. Net production from such liquid-rich assets is 13,750 barrels of oil equivalent per day.Since almost 70% of the production comprises oil, Halcon Resources is well positioned to capitalize on the strengthening oil pricing scenario. From lower than $30-a-barrel mark, the price of West Texas Intermediate WTI crude has increased drastically and is close to the $75-a-barrel psychological level.With crude prices likely to keep going strong, Halcon Resources is poised to gain as it expects oil to account for 66% to 70% of 2018 production.Moreover, Halcon Resources' balance sheet is less levered compared to the broader industry. This is clearly reflected in the company’s debt-to-capitalization ratio of 35.3%, which is significantly lower than 45.5% of the stocks belonging to the industry. Other Stocks to ConsiderOther top-ranked players in the energy space include Shell Midstream Partners LP SHLX and Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. or Petrobras (PBR). Both Shell Midstream Partners and Petrobras sport a Zacks Rank #1.You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Shell Midstream Partners has an average positive earnings surprise of 7.9% for the last four quarters.Petrobras’ bottom line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 10.4%.Today's Stocks from Zacks' Hottest StrategiesIt's hard to believe, even for us at Zacks. But while the market gained +21.9% in 2017, our top stock-picking screens have returned +115.0%, +109.3%, +104.9%, +98.6%, and +67.1%. And this outperformance has not just been a recent phenomenon. Over the years it has been remarkably consistent. From 2000 - 2017, the composite yearly average gain for these strategies has beaten the market more than 19X over. Maybe even more remarkable is the fact that we're willing to share their latest stocks with you without cost or obligation.See Them Free>>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Shell Midstream Partners, L.P. (SHLX): Free Stock Analysis Report W&T Offshore, Inc. (WTI): Free Stock Analysis Report Halcon Resources Corporation (HK): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research