Fisher Investments on Energy > Key Drivers

Fisher Investments on Energy: What Makes Energy Burn

Key Drivers of the Energy Sector

Fisher Investments believes not all economic sectors are created equal. Each has a set of economic, political, and sentiment factors, or drivers, making it unique to the broader economy. Properly understanding those drivers is a key to investing success in any sector, particularly the Energy sector.

Economic and stock market drivers evolve and change in relative importance over time -- what's vital in 2008 may not be in 2010 and beyond. Nevertheless, Fisher Investments believes drivers discussed in this chapter are a good starting point for any Energy analysis, regardless of the investing environment.

While by no means comprehensive, Fisher Investments believes a list of important Energy drivers includes:

  • Commodity prices
  • Oil and gas production growth
  • Finding and development costs
  • Exploration and production capital expenditures
  • Refining margins
  • Share buybacks and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity
  • Sentiment
  • Taxes, politics, and regulations

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