Nordic American Tanker Tops Sector: Poll

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- This week, we asked readers of the TheStreet to weigh in on their favorite stock in the tanker trade. It's been a wild business of late, with shipping rates under pressure amid worries about an oversupply of vessels.

But tanker stocks seemed to have defied those concerns, steadily climbing all through September and into October.

Which company do readers believe is the best poised to outperform the sector? The Bermuda-based Nordic American Tanker(NAT Quote) was the fan favorite, garnering nearly 50% of the votes. This is perhaps unsurprising, given the frequency with which Jim Cramer speaks kindly of the company.

Nordic American stock gained nearly 3% last week, closing Friday at $29.33, but is down sharply from its 52-week high of about $38, reached in May.

Running a close second was Frontline(FRO Quote), also based in Bermuda, which won just over 35% of the survey's clicks. The company's stock shot higher by 10% over the course of last week, settling Friday at $24.32.

The other two choices on our list -- the Canadian Teekay(TK Quote) and the U.S.-based Overseas Shipholding(OSG Quote) -- did not come close to the top two in our survey. Teekay received just shy of 11% of the votes, while Overseas limped across the line in last place, with a mere 4.2%.

-- Written by Scott Eden in New York