Topic: How To Invest

What is Pat’s commentary for the week of November 15, 2011?

Article Excerpt

Because of today’s high government debt, high joblessness and high deficit spending, many people expect we’ll have to suffer through rising taxes and weak economic growth for the next decade. This belief makes sense, but only if you disregard recent developments in energy. Before the start of the financial crisis, pessimists used to look on spikes in oil prices as the greatest threat to the world economy. Oil is a key factor in a lot of industrial activity, as a raw material or as fuel for transportation. Oil is also concentrated in a few locations around the world, particularly the Middle East, so it’s vulnerable to transport bottlenecks that result in supply shortages. When oil prices shoot up, the economy suffers. This, though, could change in the next few years due to the development of oil and gas production from shale and other so-called “tight rock”. Shale oil and gas discoveries are turning up all around the world. New technology…