Since our previous issue of Energy and Income Advisor, oil prices have ticked back over $50 a barrel. And the combination of last year’s literal industry-wide investment freeze with energy demand rising faster than expected means they’ll stay there in 2021, with a possible run into the 60s at some point.

How much of what we’ve already seen for energy prices is priced into sector stocks? The last time oil was firmly over $50, back in February 2020, Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE: EPD) traded roughly one-third higher than it does now. The same was true for fellow Model Portfolio holding ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM).

So was high quality midstream Magellan Midstream Partners (NYSE: MMP). So were leading oilfield services company Schlumberger Ltd (NYSE: SLB) and Concho Resources (NYSE: CXO), which fetched what’s since become a high premium takeover bid from ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP).

Sustained crude oil prices in the $50 to $60 per barrel range next year might not sound like a big deal. In fact, it wouldn’t represent much of a gain from the mid-to-high 40s range held by North American benchmarks lately. And Brent crude is already mostly there, depending on what measurement you use.

A return to that level of oil prices in 2021 would, however, represent a massive change from the environment of the past year. And it would be a major departure from the generally downtrending direction of prices since the energy bear market began way back in 2014.

More important, our view is 50s oil would also be a powerful catalyst for a shift in investor psychology regards the energy sector. It’s true that we’ve seen that level before many times in the past six years. And while a bounce to $50 plus was enough for many energy stocks to stage a big recovery in 2016-17, staying there wasn’t to prevent flat lining and later falling share from second half 2019 into 2020.