While oil continues to drop, there is one sector connected to the oil market that is doing rather well. It is the oil tanker sector, and while oil is trading at 11-year lows, many stocks in this sector are already posting double digits gains over the past 12 months. This sector looks appealing both from the Contrarian and Mass psychology perspective for the following reasons.

The masses are ignoring it; in fact, one could state that most of them dislike this sector. The best time to get into a sector is when the masses despise or are blatantly ignoring a sector.
The average Joe assumes that if oil drops, the tanker sector will also suffer. While this was true during the first part of the oil market collapse, the two markets have parted ways.

Take a look at the following chart and it shows that most of the stocks in this sector have performed rather well over the past few months. We purposely included one laggard to illustrate the point that not all stocks are created equal. One should focus on the leaders during the first part of the breakout stage. When the rally is mature, one can divert attention to the laggards as they will eventually catch up the pack.

NAT, FRO, TNK, SFL and NAP

Factors that bode well for this sector

Time Charter Rates for very large crude carriers (VLCC) have soared over the past 12 months, in fact from a low of roughly 34,000 per day; they have surged to almost $50,000 per day.

Suezmax spot price.jpg

Oil producers all over the world continue to pump oil at record rates. In fact, Russia set a new record last year despite ultra-low oil prices. It pumped 534.081 million metric tons in 2015, 40% more than it did in 2014. Iran's oil will soon hit the markets, and this could put even more pressure on the already weak market. However, this is good business for oil tanker stocks, as a lot of this oil will have to be put in storage. The fact that rates have surged by almost 45% from a year ago indicate that the industry now has some pricing power, and it looks like this trend could continue going forward. Rates are still below their 2008 peak, but they are a long way of their 2012-2013 lows.
A group of stocks in this sector have broken out, indicating that this is not an isolated event. Out of the five stocks, we listed, 4 are showing healthy gains and the strongest stock in the sector as of today is Nordic American Tankers (NAT). Two other strong players in the sector are Frontline (FRO) and Ship Finance International (SFL).

Game Plan

The sector is not being followed actively, in fact, the crowd is ignoring it, and this is usually the best time for the astute investor to plan an entry. Mass psychology states that you should be happy when the crowd is wary and wary when they are happy. Investing in the energy sector has been an exercise in futility in 2015 for the most part, but there appears to be a bright spot. . We would wait for the oil tanker sector to pullback before committing any new money to this sector. The current market pullback should provide investors with lovely entry points in some of the top performing stocks in this sector.

"Let us act on what we have, since we have not what we wish." ~ Cardinal J. Newman

by Sol Palha

www.tacticalinvestor.com

Sol Palha is a market analyst and educator who uses Mass Psychology, Technical Analysis and Esoteric Cycles to keep you on the right side of the market. He and his partners are on the web at www.tacticalinvestor.com.

Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

Only logged in users are allowed to post comments. Register/ Log in

The Market Oracle is a FREE Financial Markets Forecasting & Analysis web-site.
(c) 2005-2024 MarketOracle.co.uk (Market Oracle Ltd) - Market Oracle Ltd asserts copyright on all articles authored by our editorial team and all comments posted. Any and all information provided within the web-site, is for general information purposes only and Market Oracle Ltd do not warrant the accuracy, timeliness or suitability of any information provided on this site. nor is or shall be deemed to constitute, financial or any other advice or recommendation by us. and are also not meant to be investment advice or solicitation or recommendation to establish market positions. We do not give investment advice and our comments are an expression of opinion only and should not be construed in any manner whatsoever as recommendations to enter into a market position either stock, option, futures contract, bonds, commodity or any other financial instrument at any time. We recommend that independent professional advice is obtained before you make any investment or trading decisions. By using this site you agree to this sites Terms of Use. From time to time we promote or endorse certain products / services that we believe are worthy of your time and attention. In return for that endorsement and only in the cases where you purchase directly though us may we be compensated by the producers of those products.