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.

  1. Invest mainly in well-established companies;
  2. Spread your money out across most if not all of the five main economic sectors (Manufacturing & Industry; Resources & Commodities; Consumer; Finance; Utilities);
  3. Downplay or avoid stocks in the broker/media limelight.

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2 Canadian energy stocks willing to spend big for big growth
BIRCHCLIFF ENERGY (Toronto symbol BIR; www.birchcliffenergy.com) develops, produces and explores for oil and natural gas, mainly in the Peace River Arch area near the Alberta/B.C. border. About 81% of its output is gas. The remaining 19% is oil....
Two Canadian energy stocks face different challenges in their quest for production hikes
Oil and gas industry. Work of refinery petrochemical plant. Oil reservoir and storage tank of mineral oil. Blue sky above factory
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TRILOGY ENERGY CORP. (Toronto symbol TET; www.trilogyenergy.com) owns oil and gas properties in central Alberta’s Kaybob and Grande Prairie areas. About 58% of Trilogy’s production is natural gas. The remaining 42% is oil....
Volatile natural gas prices spark different strategies for Encana and Bonavista
Natural gas prices rebounded recently after almost three years of depressed prices. In those years, warm winters cut into gas used for heating, and that’s a major part of total gas use. As a result, gas in storage grew and prices stagnated. A glut of shale gas due to improved drilling technology also held prices down....
Suncor hits record production with new oil sands projects
Suncor is shipping more oil by rail while waiting for governments to approve new pipeline, such as TransCanada’s Keystone XL. At the same time, recently completed oil sands projects are raising the company’s production....
Two Canadian energy stocks tackle big growth projects
Oil and gas industry. Work of refinery petrochemical plant. Oil reservoir and storage tank of mineral oil. Blue sky above factory
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BELLATRIX EXPLORATION (Toronto symbol BXE; www.bellatrixexploration.com) produces natural gas (70% of output) and oil (30%) in Alberta, B.C. and Saskatchewan....
Two Canadian juniors bank on rising gold and copper production
AURICO GOLD (Toronto symbol AUQ; www.auricogold.com) operates the El Chanate gold mine in Mexico, which produced 71,864 ounces in 2013....
How Potash Corp. and Agrium are dealing with volatile fertilizer prices
Fertilizer prices remain volatile, but these two producers have bright long-term outlooks. That’s because the growing global population is increasing food demand. Without fertilizer, the world would need 50% more farmland to meet this need....
Two U.S. producers take strong measures to keep cash flow rising with energy outlook uncertain
Oil and gas industry. Work of refinery petrochemical plant. Oil reservoir and storage tank of mineral oil. Blue sky above factory
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New technology has increased oil production from North American shale rock formations. Even so, oil prices have held up due to the improving global economy and lower output from conventional wells....
Sherritt announces decision to sell off coal interests
SHERRITT INTERNATIONAL (Toronto symbol S; www.sherritt.com) is a diversified natural resource company that produces nickel, cobalt, thermal coal, oil and gas. It also manages 356 megawatts of power generation capacity in Cuba, with an additional 150 megawatts starting up soon....
Cash flow jumps on production upgrades for these two U.S. energy stocks
Oil and gas industry. Work of refinery petrochemical plant. Oil reservoir and storage tank of mineral oil. Blue sky above factory
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DEVON ENERGY CORP. (New York symbol DVN; www.dvn.com) is one of the largest U.S.-based oil and natural gas explorers and producers. Its production mix is 57% gas and 43% oil....