Businesses that work in the extraction, refining and delivery of energy sources such as natural gas, oil, uranium and coal, are considered energy stocks.
Resource and commodity stocks in general should make up only a limited portion of your portfolio—say less than 20% for a conservative investor or as much as 30% for an aggressive investor. And as part of that segment, energy stocks could make up, say half of that total. The rest could be fertilizer stocks, mining stocks and so on.
Oil and gas stocks have been below-average performers lately, and many investors are tempted to get out of the industry altogether. However, the energy sector can play a crucial role in your portfolio as a hedge against inflation. The low inflation rates of the past couple of decades deserve some of the blame for the poor performance of the sector. However, energy stocks will likely rebound in years to come as the global economy recovers.
Invest mainly in well-established companies;
Spread your money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors (Manufacturing & Industry; Resources & Commodities; Consumer; Finance; Utilities);
Downplay or avoid stocks in the broker/media limelight.
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Long-time readers know that we aim to keep you informed of important news about the stocks we cover. That means highlighting developments and plans that promise to bolster investor gains. Here are two buys that stand out this month:
ACI WORLDWIDE, $22.70, is a buy. The firm… Read More
SUNCOR ENERGY INC. $47 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol SU; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.44 billion; Market cap: $67.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 4.4%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.suncor.com) is Canada’s largest integrated oil firm, with major projects in the Alberta oil… Read More
CENOVUS ENERGY, $25.29, is a buy for long-term gains. The company (Toronto symbol CVE; Shares o/s: 1.9 billion; Market cap: $48.0 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Divd. yield: 2.1%; www.cenovus.com) recently agreed to buy the 50% of an oil refinery in Toledo, Ohio, that it doesn’t already own. It… Read More
Oil and gas stocks have moved up as the U.S. and other economies recover. The war in Ukraine has also spurred prices. We recommend that most investors maintain exposure to the oil and gas industry as part of a balanced portfolio. But to cut risk, you… Read More
Improving crude prices are letting Imperial Oil invest in new green energy projects that will help it comply with more-stringent environmental regulations. The company is also using its strong cash flow to reward investors.
IMPERIAL OIL LTD. $70 is a buy. This company (Toronto symbol IMO; Conservative and… Read More
CENOVUS ENERGY INC. $26 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol CVE; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.9 billion; Market cap: $49.4 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield 1.8%; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; www.cenovus.com) recently agreed to buy the 50% of a oil refinery in Toledo,… Read More
IMPERIAL OIL LTD., $70.33, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol IMO; Shares o/s: 584.2 million; Market cap: $42.5 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 2.5%; www.imperialoil.ca) is Canada’s third-largest publicly traded oil company after Canadian Natural Resources (No. 1) and Suncor. U.S.-based ExxonMobil (New York symbol XOM)… Read More
APA CORP. $44 is a hold. The company (New York symbol APA; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 321.5 million; Market cap: $14.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.4; Dividend yield: 2.3%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.apacorp.com) produces oil and natural gas in the U.S., Egypt and the U.K.
APA now… Read More
CENOVUS ENERGY, $24.43, is a buy for long-term gains. The company (Toronto symbol CVE; Shares outstanding: 1.9 billion; Market cap: $46.9 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk; Dividend yield: 1.9%; www.cenovus.com) is now Canada’s third-largest producer of oil and natural gas, and the country’s second-largest refiner.
Cenovus plans to spend between… Read More
The shares of oil and gas stocks remain high as the U.S. and other economies recover—and with the Ukraine conflict. We continue to recommend that most investors maintain some exposure to the oil and gas industry as part of a balanced portfolio. But to cut risk,… Read More
IMPERIAL OIL LTD., $62.11, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol IMO; Shares o/s: 604.8 million; Market cap: $38.3 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 2.8%; www.imperialoil.ca) now plans to spend $1.7 billion on capital upgrades and exploration in 2023. That’s $300 million, or 21.4%, higher than its… Read More
Like Imperial Oil (see page 1), these three oil and gas producers are also benefitting from higher energy prices and moderating capital spending plans. That’s freeing up more cash for dividends and debt repayments.
We continue to see all three as high-quality buys for the Resources… Read More
Crude oil prices have steadily declined to the current $74 U.S. per barrel after soaring to about $124 U.S. in March 2022. That was following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Note, however, that today’s price is still above the pre-pandemic price of around $60 U.S.
It’s likely… Read More
IMPERIAL OIL LTD., $76.53, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol IMO; Shares o/s: 604.8 million; Market cap: $47.2 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 2.3%; www.imperialoil.ca) will raise your quarterly dividend by 29.4% with the January 2023 payment. Investors will then receive $0.44 a share instead of… Read More
Oil and gas stocks have moved up as the U.S. and other economies recover. The war in Ukraine has also spurred prices. We recommend that most investors maintain exposure to the oil and gas industry as part of a balanced portfolio. But to cut risk, you… Read More
Chevron rebounded strongly as re-opening of the global economy lifted crude oil prices—the stock is up 62% in the past year compared to the 14% drop for the S&P 500 Index.
While oil prices could suffer if the economy weakens, higher profits from Chevron’s refining operations… Read More
Oil and gas stocks have moved up lately as the U.S. and other economies recover. Birchcliff Energy shares have almost tripled over the last year. Still, the shares remain cheap for investors looking to profit from the continuing energy rebound.
BIRCHCLIFF ENERGY, $10.72, is a buy. The company… Read More
ROYAL BANK OF CANADA $128 (www.rbc.com) is a buy. The bank has agreed to sell its European asset servicing and custodial operations to a business jointly owned by France’s Crédit Agricole S.A. and Spain’s Santander for an undisclosed amount. It expects to complete the sale in 2023. The… Read More
Even though oil and gas prices are down about a third from their recent peaks, they remain elevated compared to the past few years. Those high prices are letting Cenovus and Ovintiv pay down debt, which cuts their risk. Both are also increasing the cash… Read More
The shares of oil and gas stocks remain high as the U.S. and other economies recover—and with the Ukraine conflict. We continue to recommend that most investors maintain some exposure to the oil and gas industry as part of a balanced portfolio. But to cut risk,… Read More
