Fisher: Fossil Fuels Not Going Anywhere

In his latest Forbes column, Kenneth Fisher says that — despite the push for renewable fuel sources such as wind power — fossil fuels will be in heavy demand for at least the next decade, and investors should tailor their portfolios to reflect that.

“Many of the same people screaming that fossil fuel creates global warming are also adamantly against adding clean nuclear power,” Fisher writes discussing one prime renewable fuel option. “There are a lot of nuclear reactor applications pending in the U.S., but the permits will be few, and slow in coming.

“That situation, and the fact that other energy-hungry countries will also be demanding fossil fuels, tells me you should be overweight in energy stocks. That means at least 12% of your equity in energy companies, and most of that in companies with a fossil fuel emphasis.”

Fisher refers to a column written by Forbes’ Rich Karlgaard, which explains that in the U.S., 89% of electricity comes from coal, natural gas, and nuclear fission. “That fraction won’t change dramatically in the next decade,” Fisher says. “If you want your air conditioner to work in 2014, you’d better hope that more fossil fuel plants get built.”

Fisher recommends several fossil fuel plays, including U.S. petroleum and natural gas firms Apache (APA), Chevron (CVX), Hess (HES), and Marathon Oil (MRO). Overseas, he likes French firm Repsol YPF (REP) and Colombia’s Ecopetrol (EC), as well as oil services firms Cameron International (CMRN) and CGG Veritas (CGV).

Send a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *