Oil prices, they go up, they go down. Lately, it’s been a bit of a wobble, what with the usual dramas unfolding over there. Bombs fall, tankers get nervous, and the price at the pump does its little dance. So it goes. People get excited. I don’t. Not really.
I own some oil stocks. Three, to be exact. Not because I have a crystal ball, or because I think oil is the answer to everything. Just because they seemed…reasonable. Like a slightly less disappointing outcome than most things.
A Bit of Upside, If You’re Keeping Score
There’s Chevron, Canadian Natural Resources, and ConocoPhillips. I’ve been with ConocoPhillips for a long time now – almost twenty years. A lifetime, in internet years. The other two are newer additions, but they fit the general idea. If oil goes up, these companies tend to make a bit more money. A dollar here, a dollar there. Chevron, for example, might see an extra six hundred million dollars. ConocoPhillips, a little over a hundred million. It’s not a fortune, but it’s enough to keep the lights on. And, of course, return some money to the shareholders. Dividends, mostly. It’s a comforting thought, dividends.
Protected From the Inevitable Fall
But here’s the thing about oil. It doesn’t just go up. It also goes down. And when it does, most oil companies start to sweat. These three, though, they seem…sturdier. Chevron thinks they can keep things humming along at seventy dollars a barrel. ConocoPhillips, same deal. They’ve managed to keep their costs down, and they’re expanding. They can handle a dip. Their breakeven point is somewhere in the forties. Not bad, considering the general chaos of things.
They’ve been paying dividends for years. Chevron, thirty-nine years straight. Canadian Natural Resources, twenty-six. ConocoPhillips, a decade. It’s a nice streak. I like it. It’s a small victory in a world full of defeats. I own these stocks, in part, to collect those dividends. Between 2.5 and 3.5 percent. Not enough to retire on, but enough to buy a decent cup of coffee.
Oil, Money, and the Quiet Persistence of Things
I have no idea what’s going to happen to oil prices. They could surge. They could plummet. It doesn’t really matter. I’m not trying to predict the future. I’m just trying to find companies that can survive it. These three seem reasonably equipped. They can benefit from higher prices, and they can withstand lower ones. It’s a simple strategy. A boring strategy. But sometimes, boring is good. Sometimes, it’s all there is. So it goes.
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2026-03-21 14:13