ENERGY STOCKS - Storming Back

A combination of tight supplies, rising demand and continued economic growth is fueling the energy sector.

- ADAM SHELL

IT’S NO SECRET THAT MUCH OF WALL Street is adopting a green-is-good investing mentality to combat climate change. But that doesn’t mean less environmentally friendly, old-style oil and gas stocks can’t speed ahead from time to time. That’s just what has happened in recent months.

Thanks to supply shortages and a rise in demand for fossil fuels as the economy recovers, large-company energy stocks have gained 60% since the start of 2021. That’s more than double the 27% rise in the S&P 500 and tops all other market sectors. And it comes after a disastrous 2020, when energy stocks plunged 34%— the sector’s worst return in a calendar year in more than a decade.

The resurgence of old-economy energy stocks comes as U.S. oil prices skyrocket. West Texas Intermediate crude prices recently hit their highest level since 2014 and topped $85 per barrel. And natural gas prices more than doubled in the first 10 months of 2021. In the past, these sharp price spikes have been bullish for energy stocks. Energy was the top-performing S&P 500 sector in 2007 and 2016, for instance, when WTI prices surged 58% and 45%, respectively, in those calendar years.

Many investment firms and the U.S. Energy Information Administration are forecasting higher energy prices to persist in 2022, which bodes well for fossil fuel energy stocks, even as the world is focused on going green. We’ll explain why and tell you the best way to make a strategic investment in this sector. Returns and data are through November 5, unless otherwise noted.