The energy bull still lives

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard recently wrote an article entitled Plateau Oil meets 125m Chinese cars, in which he discusses why oil prices haven't fallen despite the anemic nature of global economic growth [emphasis added]:

What is deeply troubling is that Brent crude should have reached fresh records in sterling (£79) and euros (€94) - with a knock-on effect on US petrol prices, mostly tracking Brent - even though the International Monetary Fund has sharply downgraded its world growth forecast to 3.25pc this year from 4pc in September, and even though International Energy Agency (IEA) has cut its oil use forecast for this year by 750,000 barrels per day (bpd).

Oil is not supposed to ratchet defiantly upwards in a downturn, which is what we have with the Euro zone facing a year of contraction in 2012, and much of the Latin bloc sliding into full depression. Japan‘s economy shrank in the fourth quarter.

The reason is Peak Oil, or Plateau Oil, where crude supply is not expanding to meet rising global demand because of rising emerging market affluence.

Asia’s emerging powers of Asia - the key force driving the commodity boom of the last decade - are in various stages of “soft-landings” after hitting the monetary brakes last year to check property bubbles and curb inflation. China’s manufacturing has been bouncing along near contraction levels through the winter. So what happens when it recovers?

The unpleasant fact we must all face is that the relentless supply crunch - call it `Peak Oil’ if you want, or `Plateau Oil’ - was briefly disguised during the Great Recession and is already back with a vengeance before the West has fully recovered.

The commodity markets are now selling off over China's new GDP growth of 7.5% as it shifts from export driven growth to internal consumption growth. I would argue that the move is commodity bullish (instead of bearish as interpreted by the market knee-jerk reaction) because resource intensity grows because of the shift to consumption, as shown by this analysis from the Council on Foreign Relations.

Indeed, the emerging market demand story has become so prominent that Big Picture Agriculture points out that Asian oil demand has already risen to exceed North American demand.

Not too late to buy energy stocks
It's such these kinds of positive fundamentals that makes me a long-term commodity and energy bull - and it's not too late to buy energy stocks. The chart below shows the price chart of Select SPDR Energy ETF, or XLE, going back to 2000.
 

 
I have also constructed a crude trading signal for energy stocks. Below the main XLE price chart, I show the relative performance of the more volatile Oil Services ETF (OIH) against the more stable XLE, which is more heavily weighted with integrated oils. Note that troughs in the OIH/XLE ratio have been good times to buy. Investors would have seen higher prices within a year after each of those buy signals. Moreover, if you had waited for the OIH/XLE ratio to rise by 0.25 to 0.30 after each of those buy signals and sold your position, you would have profited handsomely.
 
We just saw a buy signal for energy stocks last year. Based on the OIH/XLE ratio, it's not too late to buy and ride the energy stock bull.
 
 
 
Cam Hui is a portfolio manager at Qwest Investment Fund Management Ltd. ("Qwest"). This article is prepared by Mr. Hui as an outside business activity. As such, Qwest does not review or approve materials presented herein. The opinions and any recommendations expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions or recommendations of Qwest.
 
None of the information or opinions expressed in this blog constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security or other instrument. Nothing in this article constitutes investment advice and any recommendations that may be contained herein have not been based upon a consideration of the investment objectives, financial situation or particular needs of any specific recipient. Any purchase or sale activity in any securities or other instrument should be based upon your own analysis and conclusions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Either Qwest or Mr. Hui may hold or control long or short positions in the securities or instruments mentioned.