Energy companies became the growth leaders of the S&P 500

Shares of energy companies dominate the list of new growth leaders in the benchmark S&P 500 index, as oil prices approach a record level in 2008.

Since the beginning of the year, losses in the S&P 500 index itself have amounted to about 13%, and only one sector continues to grow steadily and reach multi-year highs – the energy sector. Investors' appetite for stocks in this area is also growing as profits in this sector grow. Analysts predict that the demand for fuel for traditional flights and trips will increase in the summer months, while supply remains limited. 

The main reason for the supply restriction in the oil sector was the conflict in Ukraine and Western sanctions against Russian oil, as well as the refusal of US energy companies to invest in oil production. According to Baker Hughes, the number of oil rigs in the US is still only one-third of what it was during the peak in 2014.

As a result, prices for North American crude oil WTI rose to the highest level in recent years, reaching $119.98 per barrel at auction on Tuesday. And this is only 18% lower than the record of $147 per barrel reached in 2008.

High oil prices, in turn, mean higher revenues for energy companies, and this is reflected in their stock prices. According to trading data, at least 6 energy stocks included in the S&P 500 list reached record highs last Tuesday.

Overall, the energy sector has grown by more than 60% since the beginning of the year, jumping by almost 270% compared to the 2020 low, when oil prices briefly turned negative as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.