Where do you find stocks offering near double-digit yields backed by businesses repeatedly posting strong results? In this zero interest rate environment, our answer would ordinarily be “dream on.” But that’s exactly the kind of value the Energy and Income Advisor Model Portfolio and High Yield Energy Target List offer now. And Q2 numbers and guidance updates have once again proven their financial strength and upside leverage to the energy price cycle. This issue’s Portfolio section has the run down for the 23 Portfolio and High Yield List companies that had not reported as of our previous EIA issue—where we unpacked results for Kinder Morgan Inc (NYSE: KMI), Schlumberger Ltd (NYSE: SLB) and Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN).

Energy was the top-performing sector in the S&P 500 in the first half of 2021 jumping 45.61%, nearly triple the S&P 500’s 15.24% gain over a similar holding period.

That represents the S&P 500 Energy Index’s best showing relative to the S&P 500 in the first half of the year since at least 1989 when the former index was created. 

Indeed, energy has smashed all records so far in 2021 for performance relative to the S&P 500, the only comparable example was the group’s 28.51 percentage point outperformance relative to the S&P 500 in the 6 months ended February 2005, during energy (and oil’s) last big commodity super cycle.

So far in 2021, oil and gas stocks are far and away the stock market’s top- performing sector. In fact, capital gains alone for the S&P Energy Sector Index and Alerian MLP Index are more than four times the total return on the S&P 500.

Like the previous two, this issue of Energy and Income Advisor focuses on energy companies’ Q1 results and guidance updates. And what we saw is very much a potential driver for more gains this year in the best in class energy stocks we’ve been recommending.

Not only are companies reporting continuing improvement in industry fundamentals. But their numbers—particularly solid dividend coverage and rising levels of free cash flow after distributions—demonstrate management has adapted business plans and financial strategies to the current stage of the energy cycle.