We recently published a list of 10 Best Undervalued Energy Stocks To Buy According to Hedge Funds. In this article, we are going to look at where Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) stands against other best undervalued energy stocks to buy according to hedge funds.
Despite the stated goal of energy dominance, the US has already achieved significant milestones in energy production. For six consecutive years, the US has led the world in oil production and was one of the largest exporters of natural gas in 2023. The Trump administration aims to further strengthen the position of the US in global oil and gas markets, challenging OPEC and other major producers.
To achieve this growth, the American Petroleum Institute (API), the association of oil and natural gas industry trade, has urged Trump to implement a five-point plan that includes authorizing additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, expanding drilling on federal lands, easing pipeline permitting, repealing stringent vehicle emissions and fuel economy standards, and preserving current corporate tax rates. According to CNBC, Trump has indicated plans to sign executive orders related to energy policy upon taking office on January 20. He is also establishing a National Energy Council, which aims to reduce regulatory barriers and advance US energy dominance.
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US Oil Producers and the Challenge of Lower Oil Prices
In an interview with CNBC on December 5, Helima Croft, Managing Director and Global Head of Commodity Strategy at RBC Capital Markets, discussed that while President Trump and his administration have been vocal about their desire for lower oil prices, this poses significant challenges for the US oil producers because they are already operating in a highly competitive environment. The equilibrium price that balances the interests of businesses and consumers is a critical question, as producers do not want to drill themselves out of business. Croft explained that there is a collective production cut agreement between OPEC countries running through the end of 2025. In addition to the collective production cut, there is a voluntary cut by eight producers that has been phased slowly. The current expectation was that these producers would maintain this stance due to sanctions and a less optimistic demand outlook.
Croft acknowledged that geopolitical tensions particularly in the Middle East play a role in influencing market sentiment. However, she emphasized that the biggest issue right now is from the demand side, due to the impact of possible tariffs on China. Weak Chinese demand has been a problem for the oil market this year, and the potential implications of tariffs will be closely watched as they could further affect demand.
The US has achieved significant milestones in energy production in recent years and the Trump administration plans to further strengthen it in the global oil and gas markets.
Our Methodology
To compile our list of the 10 best undervalued energy stocks to buy according to hedge funds, we used Finviz and Yahoo stock screeners to find the 25 largest energy companies trading below a forward P/E ratio of 15, as of December 16. We then used Insider Monkey’s Hedge Fund database to rank 10 stocks according to the largest number of hedge fund holders, as of Q3 2024. The list is sorted in ascending order of hedge fund sentiment.
Why do we care about what hedge funds do? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 86
Forward P/E Ratio as of December 16: 12.50
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) is one of the world’s largest publicly traded energy companies, with operations spanning oil and gas exploration, production, refining, and chemicals. The company serves global markets with fuels, lubricants, and petrochemical products.
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) is actively investing in low-carbon solutions to address the global energy transition. The company is developing the world’s largest low-carbon hydrogen production facility in Baytown, Texas, which will produce 1 billion cubic feet per day of carbon-free hydrogen, with 98% of CO2 emissions captured and stored. This project has garnered significant interest, with partnerships from ADNOC and Mitsubishi. Additionally, Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) is advancing its carbon capture and storage (CCS) capabilities and has secured a 271,000-acre offshore CO2 storage site, through an agreement with the Texas General Land Office.
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) is also building a natural gas plant to power a data center and then use its carbon capture and storage technology to reduce the emissions of the plant by 90%. The company estimates that decarbonizing AI data centers could represent up to 20% of its addressable market for carbon capture and storage by 2050.
Overall, XOM ranks 1st on our list of best undervalued energy stocks to buy according to hedge funds. While we acknowledge the potential of XOM to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than XOM but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.