The S&P 500 power sector is up 4.2% year-to-date, barely lagging the rise for the broader index. The sector logged a 59% leap in 2022, an in any other case brutal yr for shares that noticed the S&P 500 drop 19.4%.
Vitality bulls argue the sector’s valuations bolster the case for a third-straight yr of features, which might be the primary such feat for the group since 2013. Goldman Sachs, RBC Capital Markets and UBS World Wealth Administration are among the many Wall Avenue corporations recommending power shares.
Regardless of final yr’s run, the sector trades at a ten instances ahead price-to-earnings ratio, in comparison with 17 instances for the broad market, and plenty of of its shares provide sturdy dividend yields. The potential returns for shareholders have been highlighted this week when Chevron shares rose virtually 5% after saying plans to purchase $75 billion value of its inventory.
Some traders fear, nevertheless, that power firms might discover it onerous to extend income after big jumps in 2022, particularly if a broadly anticipated U.S. financial downturn hits commodity costs.
“The group seems to be holding up properly, however there’s some trepidation because of the truth that traders are involved about an financial slowdown and what that may do to demand,” mentioned Robert Pavlik, senior portfolio supervisor at Dakota Wealth.
He mentioned he’s barely chubby the power sector, together with shares of Chevron and Pioneer Pure Sources . Economists and analysts in a Reuters survey forecast U.S. crude would common $84.84 per barrel in 2023, in comparison with a mean value of $94.33 final yr, citing expectations of world financial weak spot. U.S. crude costs lately stood at round $80 per barrel.
On the identical time, many traders beefed up their holdings of power shares in 2022 after years of avoiding the sector, which had typically underperformed the broader market amid considerations similar to poor capital allocation by firms and uncertainties over the way forward for fossil gas. The sector’s weight within the S&P 500 roughly doubled final yr to five.2%.
Nonetheless, that dynamic could also be really fizzling out, mentioned Aaron Dunn, co-head of the worth fairness workforce at Eaton Vance.
“Folks have come again to power in an enormous means,” he mentioned. “We had that tailwind the final couple of years, which was that everybody was under-invested in power. I do not suppose that is the case anymore.”
And whereas power firms are anticipated to ship sturdy quarterly reviews over the approaching weeks after a roaring 2022, these numbers might have set a excessive bar for this yr.
With 30% of the sector’s 23 firms reported to this point, power’s fourth-quarter earnings are anticipated to have climbed 60% from a yr earlier, and 155% for full-year 2022, in line with Refintiv IBES. However earnings are anticipated to say no 15% this yr, the most important drop among the many 11 S&P 500 sectors.
Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips are among the many reviews due subsequent week, when traders additionally will give attention to the Federal Reserve’s newest coverage assembly.
“Final yr was a banner yr,” mentioned Matthew Miskin, co-chief funding strategist at John Hancock Funding Administration. “Now they’ve to attempt to beat that to point out development, and I believe that’s going to be a problem.”
Within the meantime, bullish traders level to shareholder-friendly makes use of of money by the businesses.
The power sector’s 3.43% dividend yield as of year-end 2022 was practically twice the extent of the index total, in line with Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices. Vitality firms executed $22 billion in share buybacks within the third quarter, simply over 10% of all S&P 500 buybacks.
“From a complete return perspective, that’s the place I believe power can nonetheless proceed to distinguish itself versus the broader market,” mentioned Noah Barrett, power and utilities sector analysis lead at Janus Henderson Buyers.
Others, nevertheless, imagine extra worth might exist in areas of the market that have been crushed down final yr. Dunn, of Eaton Vance, mentioned shares in areas similar to client discretionary and industrials might seem extra engaging.
“Vitality in all probability does OK this yr, however I believe you’ve got a whole lot of areas available in the market which have carried out extraordinarily poorly the place we’re discovering glorious alternative,” he mentioned.
