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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However, that acquisition more than doubles the company’s output and positions it for strong future growth.
Right now, Cenovus already owns 50% of the Christina Lake and Foster Creek oil sands projects; ConocoPhilips (New York symbol COP) owns the other 50%.
The company has agreed to buy ConocoPhillips’ interest in both Alberta properties, along with ConocoPhillips’ conventional oil fields in that province and B.C.
The total cost is $17.7 billion....
In its fiscal 2017 first half, ended December 31, 2016, Sasol’s revenue fell 2.2%, to $6.06 billion from $6.20 billion a year earlier....
We recommend that most investors maintain some exposure to the Resources sector as part of a well-balanced portfolio.
To further cut your risk, you should focus on well-established producers with high-quality reserves such as Encana and Cenovus.
In response to the big drop in oil prices—from a high of $110 U.S....