Already the second-best sector in the S&P 500 this year and the top sector in April, energy has rebounded in a big way of being a laggard in 2013.
With an array of equity-based energy exchange traded funds residing on the new all-time list on a daily basis and with the end of the sector’s best seasonal period approaching, it may seem as though energy stocks and ETFs are ready for a break. However, that may not be the case.
Sterne Agee chief market technician Carter Worth said in a note out earlier this week that now that the energy sector is making new highs “the presumption is that the breakout that’s underway will continue,” reports Alex Rosenberg for CNBC.
Worth predicted additional upside of 6% to 8% for the energy sector. After touching a new all-time of $94.66 on Tuesday, the Energy Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLE), the largest energy ETF, settled at $93.82. Tack on another 8% and XLE hits triple digits. [Energy ETFs Dominate Sector Flows]
It is not out of the realm of possibility, particularly if Worth’s prediction that Exxon Mobil (NYSE: XOM), the largest U.S. oil company, starts playing catchup proves accurate. XLE is up 7.5% this year, but Exxon, is up 1.7%. The Dow component is an integral driver of returns for several big-name energy ETFs.
The average weight to Exxon for XLE, the Vanguard Energy ETF (NYSEArca: VDE) and the iShares U.S. Energy ETF (NYSEArca: IYE) is nearly 20%, yet the average year-to-date gain for those ETFs is 7.7%, indicating the ETFs have admirably dealt with Exxon’s status as a laggard. [Big Week of Energy Earnings]