Stagnant global demand and increased supply has pushed oil to its lowest price since 2009. Here’s how savvy investors can take advantage.
Big jolts to energy prices are often caused by major economic imbalances?like rising tensions in the Middle East setting off supply scares. Or a dropoff in demand from a recession, causing prices to plummet.
This time there is no global crisis behind crude?s slide (from $105 a barrel in the summer to around $60 recently, its lowest level since 2009). Instead to blame: fresh worries about growth in Europe, Japan, and China, set against rising production in Saudi Arabia, Russia, Libya, and the U.S.
Don?t expect producers to turn off the spigot just yet, especially in the U.S., where the burgeoning fracking industry can still profit at lower prices. Analysts at Goldman Sachs predict output and use will both grow in 2015, but supply will outpace demand. That should push oil down further. Here?s how you can protect your portfolio and profit from the oil glut.
Read more at Time.
