BofA warns hot inflation might run rampant for another 10 years — here’s the 1 shockproof sector to preserve your wealth under that worst-case scenario
Despite the U.S. Federal Reserve’s aggressive rate hikes — including four consecutive hikes of 75 basis points — inflation is still running hot.
Consumer prices in the U.S. climbed 0.4% in October and were up 7.7% from a year ago.
High inflation not only erodes the purchasing power of money but also means the Fed will likely remain hawkish. And that does not bode well for the stock market.
Will inflation go back to normal anytime soon?
Bank of America doesn’t believe so.
“Historically, it takes an average of 10 years for a developed economy to return to 2% inflation [once] the 5% threshold is breached,” the bank says in a recent note.
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BofA highlights sticky wage inflation, population aging, and underinvestment in energy as reasons why price levels would remain elevated. According to BofA’s projection, oil prices would average $100 per barrel next year.
If BofA is right, energy stocks might see even better days ahead. Here’s a look at two energy names that the bank finds particularly attractive.
Exxon Mobil (XOM)
Exxon Mobil is an oil supermajor commanding over $400 billion market cap.
While the broad market is deep in the red in 2022, Exxon shares have climbed 64% year to date.
It’s not hard to see why investors like the stock: the oil-producing giant gushes profits and cash flow in this commodity price environment.
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In the first nine months of 2022, Exxon earned $43.0 billion in profits, a huge increase from the $14.2 billion in the year-ago period. Free cash flow totaled $49.8 billion for the first nine months, compared to $22.9 billion in the same period last year.
Solid financials allow the company to return cash to investors. Exxon pays quarterly dividends of 91 cents per share, translating to an annual yield of 3.5%.
Bank of America has a ‘buy’ rating on Exxon and a price target of $123. Since shares trade at around $104 right now, the price target implies a potential upside of 18%.
ConocoPhillips (COP)
ConocoPhillips is another big player in the energy sector. It had proved reserves of 6.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent and produced 1,567 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2021.
Just like Exxon, ConocoPhillips is firing on all cylinders thanks to strong energy prices.
In Q3 of 2022, the company’s average realized price was $83.07 per barrel of oil equivalent — a 46% increase from the $56.92 per barrel of oil equivalent in Q3 of 2021.
ConocoPhillips’ adjusted earnings came in at $4.6 billion for Q3, a huge increase from the $2.4 billion it earned in the same period last year.
In Q3, the company returned $4.3 billion of cash to shareholders, including $1.5 billion in dividends and $2.8 billion through share buybacks. ConocoPhillips also raised its quarterly dividend by 11% to 51 cents per share.
ConocoPhillips shares have already surged 52% year to date and Bank of America sees further upside on the horizon. The bank has a ‘buy’ rating on the company and a price target of $140 — roughly 25% above where the stock sits today.
Minimize your exposure to stocks
Of course, you don’t always have to limit yourself to the stock market.
Amid hot inflation and the uncertain economy, investors nervous about stocks are still finding ways to effectively invest their wealth.
Prime commercial real estate, for example, has outperformed the S&P 500 over a 25-year period. With the help of new platforms, these kinds of opportunities are now available to retail investors. Not just the ultra rich.
With a single investment, investors can own institutional-quality properties leased by brands like CVS, Kroger and Walmart — and collect stable grocery store-anchored income on a quarterly basis.
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
