The price of oil refers to the price of one barrel and refers to the most active futures contract, which is the nearest month for delivery. ExxonMobil has focused its recent efforts on reducing its business costs and boosting efficiency. One simple way for the average person to invest in oil is through stocks of oil drilling and service companies. In addition, investors can gain indirect exposure to oil through the purchase of energy-sector ETFs. Several sector mutual funds that invest mainly in energy-related stocks are available like the iShares Global Energy Sector Index Fund (IXC), and energy-sector mutual funds, like the T.

When a generalist investor arrives at the oil equity space, he may be first attracted to those stocks that have been pumped by torque-fetish promoters to a level unjustified by their intrinsic value. Therefore, caution must be applied to ensure only high-quality ideas are picked. We had been told the inflation would be ‘transitory’ by Fed officials, citing it was driven by Covid-19 pandemic-related supply chain disruptions and demand issues.

This means that the fund has a basket of assets designed to track the price of specific petroleum, in many cases the commodity itself. In other cases, you can invest in a fund that is built out of oil companies and other related assets. Here the price of the fund does not follow a specific index but rather attempts to reflect the overall performance of the fossil fuel industry. The tightening of supply and the recovery in global demand certainly bodes well for many oil and gas companies, and some could be huge winners in the near term.

While you could buy indirectly with futures and options contracts, there are many other ways to invest in the oil markets, some far less risky than futures contracts. Keep in mind that the industry is varied, with investable assets spread across its upstream, downstream, refining and marketing and transportation sectors. Some securities are better suited to one or more of these sectors than others. Historically volatile, like most commodities, oil prices tumbled during the pandemic to the point where they dipped into negative territory, meaning it cost more to store a barrel of oil than the product itself. For better or worse the world runs on oil, natural gas and its derivatives, collectively called petroleum.

Crude Oil Prices

This spread fluctuates with the price of oil and with demand for refined products. In fact, the company slashed its payout in half a few years ago during the volatility seen across the energy sector during the pandemic. Distributions are now back above where they were in 2019 before that mess, however, and ET is showing strong operational and value metrics right now that make it a standout among other oil stocks.

• Oil stocks followed up an incredible 2022 with dismal returns through the first three months of the new year.
• The rise and fall of petroleum follows economic trend lines to a degree absent from most other commodities.
• That leaves them with less money not only for drilling new wells that grow production but also for shareholder-friendly activities like dividends and buybacks.
• The profitability measure has fallen considerably from its summer peak, and Sankey said that the trend will continue as Saudi Arabia’s cuts keep prices artificially high and weaken demand.
• The price of oil refers to the price of one barrel and refers to the most active futures contract, which is the nearest month for delivery.

Many of the large oil and gas stocks pay dividends and some are significant. Chevron (CVX) and ExxonMobil (XOM) are considered “dividend aristocrats,” which are dividend stocks that have increased their dividends for at least 25 years in a row. Once the oil is out of the ground, daytrading definition it needs to be transported to the refinery. Midstream companies store the extracted crude oil and, often, natural gas, and move it through pipelines until it gets to the refineries for processing. Kinder Morgan (KMI) and Enbridge, Inc. (ENB) are midstream companies.

From indirect exposure via an energy-related stock to more direct investment in a commodity-linked ETF, the energy sector has something for almost everyone. As with all investments, investors should do their own research or consult an investment professional. Others, including Wall Street speculators, trade oil futures for very short periods of time to reap quick profits. Some observers attribute wide short-term swings in oil prices to these speculators, while others believe their influence is minimal. Some crude oil futures contracts use cash settlement at expiration while others require the transfer of crude at a pre-specified delivery point. Oil prices are set globally in a variety of spot and futures markets for crude as well as related products by market participants including producers, consumers, short-term speculators and longer-term investors.

See Today’s BestBanking Offers

The iShares Global Energy ETF (IXC) provides exposure to the largest energy companies globally. Exxon and Chevron accounted for about 26% of the $2 billion fund’s portfolio in March 2022, followed among top holdings by Shell Plc. (SHEL), ConocoPhillips (COP), TotalEnergies (TTE), BP Plc (BP), and Enbridge Inc. (ENB). Alternatively, you could trade futures with the aid of a full-service broker, typically a commodity trading advisor (CTA). If you don’t already work with a stockbroker and you want to buy oil stocks, you’ll need to go through the following steps. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research.

No offer to buy securities can be accepted, and no part of the purchase price can be received, until an offering statement filed with the SEC has been qualified by the SEC. An indication of interest to purchase securities involves no obligation or commitment of any kind. Similar to other sectors, there are various ways to invest in oil companies. Investors can purchase the common stock of an individual oil company, invest in an oil or energy mutual fund, or opt for an exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks either the entire sector or a specific segment of it. Oil stocks are stocks of companies that are involved in the exploration, extraction, refining, and marketing of oil and gas products. Investing in oil stocks would be easier if all oil companies were affected the same way by rising or falling crude prices.

You’re probably wondering, “how much does it cost to invest in oil? ” That answer varies depending on the type of investment you want to make but can range anywhere from a $2 futures contract to an oil well worth millions of dollars. With such high demand and a physically limited supply, oil becomes a hot commodity.

Thanks to falling crude prices, oil stocks are on the backfoot this year. The best oil stocks have been caught up in the volatility, but their more modest declines illustrate the long-term staying power unmatched by more fashionable energy plays. While oil and gas is a comparatively risky sector, some companies are safer than others.

Financial Calendars

Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more – straight to your e-mail. Get advice on achieving your financial goals and stay up to date on ifc markets review the day’s top financial stories. Grow Credit offers a free Mastercard you can use to pay your subscriptions and build your credit. Become a member for only $12 your first year and receive a free gift.

Which Country Produces the Most Oil?

The amount of money needed to invest in oil depends on the investment vehicle and the specific investment strategy being employed. However, investing in oil futures or options typically requires a large amount of capital because these investments are traded in contracts representing large quantities of oil. Futures contracts, for example, typically have a standard size of 1,000 barrels of oil, implying that even minor price movement can result in a significant gain or loss.

It also has investments in midstream operations and in petrochemicals via its CPChem joint venture with Chevron (CVX 1.75%). Its marketing and specialties business distributes refined products and manufactures specialty products such as lubricants. Given the uncertainty surrounding future oil demand, ConocoPhillips plans to return a significant portion of its free cash flow to investors in the coming years. It plans to pay a steadily growing dividend, repurchase shares, and pay a variable return of cash based on its excess cash. They run the gamut from pure-play E&Ps, midstream companies, service providers, and refiners to integrated oil majors that do a little bit of everything. These are the oil and gas stocks with the lowest 12-month trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio.

Crude oil is perhaps the most vital natural resource for the world economy. This raw commodity is refined to make gasoline, jet fuel and a host of other products. Price changes in the global market for crude oil are closely followed by investors everywhere. Devon is an energy company bitbuy canada review that is typically what most investors think of when they picture an oil stock—onshore, U.S. drilling with rigs and derricks across Oklahoma and Texas. The oil company pays a nominal fixed dividend each quarter, but supplements that with variable dividends based on its free cash flow.

Drilling down into oil stocks

Energy ETF (IYE), Vanguard Energy ETF (VDE), Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE), and United States Oil Fund (USO). Separately, some mutual fund examples to consider include Vanguard Energy Fund, the Fidelity Select Energy Portfolio, and the BlackRock Energy and Resources Fund. As mentioned above, there can be an extremely high barrier of entry for the world of oil investment. That can be frustrating for those with little money who still want to get involved in this kind of investing.

Exploration and Production Companies

Since oil and gas assets are developed over a long time, companies cannot quickly increase their supplies in response to favorable market conditions. This cash flow should continue to protect ExxonMobil’s dividend and its status as a Dividend Achiever. Given the growth of renewables, many investors are choosing to avoid oil stocks entirely.