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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In January 2025, Ovintiv sold its Uinta properties in Utah for $1.9 billion (all amounts except share price and market cap in U.S. dollars). The cash helped fund its acquisition of certain assets in the Montney region from Paramount Resources Ltd. (Toronto symbol POU) for $2.31 billion.
The shares of oil and gas stocks remain high as energy demand stays strong. Still, to cut risk, stick with producers that have positive cash flow even in times of low energy prices. Here are two that should meet that requirement. Moreover, they pay solid dividends.
CENOVUS ENERGY, $19.39, is a buy for long-term gains. The company (Toronto symbol CVE; Shares outstanding: 1.8 billion; Market cap: $35.2 billion; TSINetwork Rating: Average; Dividend yield: 4.1%; cenovus.com) is now Canada’s third-largest producer of oil and natural gas after Canadian Natural Resources and Suncor....
Demand for Major Drilling’s specialized services now looks to be moving up. Meanwhile, Computer Modelling is benefiting from expanded oil and gas drilling in response to overall higher energy prices. We think there are gains ahead for both stocks.
COMPUTER MODELLING GROUP, $6.86, is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol CMG; TSINetwork Rating: Extra Risk) (www.cmgl.ca; Shares outstanding: 82.5 million; Market cap: $566.2 million; Dividend yield: 2.9%) offers software and consulting services to help conventional oil and gas producers create 3D models of reservoirs....
CENOVUS ENERGY INC....
OVINTIV INC. $56 is a buy. The company (Toronto symbol OVV; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 261.1 million; Market cap: $14.6 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 1.1; Dividend yield: 2.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.ovintiv.com) operates three core properties: Montney (B.C.), Permian (Texas) and Anadarko (Oklahoma)....