Of course, some U.S. companies do business overseas (for example, Exxon). Thus, an investment in the energy sector may involve the purchase of these different kinds of stocks and many others that fit this description, and it sometimes wise for an investor to consider what element(s) of the business sector is most appealing, given that investor’s beliefs about what types of energy are apt to be particularly fast growing enterprises or what areas of the world are most apt to need and have the ability to expand energy production. An investor can purchase individual energy stocks or a stock fund in which the fund manager has assembled a group of stocks that all share in common a primary involvement in energy production.

This too becomes a consideration, since an investor may have more confidence that a single company will do well in the future than a group of related but different companies or may dislike the idea of investing entirely in a single company and prefer a wider bet that the energy sector will do well, whether a given company does or not. If the intent is to invest in the energy sector, it is generally best to purchase a mutual fund run by a good fund manager with low overhead costs in order to place a wide bet on this sector of the economy generally.

With this decision made, the next step is to research various mutual funds, perhaps through a fund rating company like Morning Star,in order to determine which mutual fund might be purchasing those energy stocks the investor most likes, in the region of the world that the investor believes to be most ripe for fast growth, managed by a fund manager with a good track record, and set up to minimize the overhead costs (for example, the management fees and the commission costs at purchase and sale of the mutual fund). In my judgment, the new investor should always look first at the Vanguard mutual funds.