Amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East — notably between Israel and Iran — oil prices (CL=F, BZ=F) have been experiencing fluctuations with an overall upward trend. To explore the implications for the broader energy sector, Truist Securities Managing Director of Energy Neal Dingmann shares his insights on Market Domination.

Dingmann observes a "bit more risk-off" sentiment within the energy sector, noting an increasing bearish attitude among investors towards oil. However, he cautions that if Middle Eastern tensions were to intensify, the impact on oil prices could be "very quick and quite severe," potentially triggering an immediate 10 to 15% surge in prices.

Despite this uncertainty, Dingmann advises investors to maintain their positions in energy stocks. "To me, the reason to hold the group is it's hard to find a sector where you see better shareholder return in the form of bulk dividends and buybacks than you do in the energy stocks these days," adding that he is "cautiously optimistic" on the sector.

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This post was written by Angel Smith