Oil & Gas Stocks — 2 Buys, 1 Hold

Article Excerpt

Oil prices recently climbed to over $100 a barrel, but have moved down along with market indexes due to fears of a recession. We feel it’s a good idea to focus on well-established oil and gas stocks that can withstand the inevitable price setbacks, and prosper anew when prices rebound. Here is our analysis of three of our long-term favorites. However, only two are buys at current prices. We also analyze two of our favorite non-oil resource stocks on Page 15. CHEVRON CORP. $81 (New York symbol CVX; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 2.1 billion; Market cap: $170.1 billion; WSSF Rating: Above average) is the second-largest oil company in the United States after ExxonMobil Corp. Internationally, it has operations in over 175 countries. Chevron hasn’t fully benefited from the recent rise in oil prices. Its refineries have had to pay more for crude oil, which has hurt profits at this division. Shutdowns for maintenance at some of its operations, as well…