5 Best Performing Energy ETFs in 2022

4. iShares U.S. Energy ETF (NYSE:IYE)

YTD Share Price Gain as of December 7: 47.90%

iShares U.S. Energy ETF (NYSE:IYE) seeks to track the performance of Russell 1000 Energy RIC 22.5/45 Capped Gross Index, which is composed of U.S. equities in the energy sector. As of December 6, the net assets of the fund stood at $2.2 billion, and the 30-day SEC yield came in at 2.43%. iShares U.S. Energy ETF (NYSE:IYE)’s portfolio consisted of 41 equities, with an expense ratio of 0.39%. 

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) is the largest holding of iShares U.S. Energy ETF (NYSE:IYE). The company explores for and produces crude oil and natural gas in the United States and internationally. On November 22, Citi analyst Alastair Syme raised the price target on Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) to $110 from $98 and maintained a Neutral rating on the shares. History indicates that energy equities usually perform well in an earnings recession, which is Citi’s base-case for 2023, noted the analyst.

According to Insider Monkey’s Q3 data, Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) was part of 75 hedge fund portfolios, compared to 72 in the prior quarter. Rajiv Jain’s GQG Partners held the leading stake in the company, comprising 33.8 million shares worth nearly $3 billion. 

In its Q2 2022 investor letter, First Eagle Investments, an asset management firm, highlighted a few stocks and Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) was one of them. Here is what the fund said:

“Integrated oil and gas giant Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) performed well in the second quarter as continued high prices for energy products supported the stock. As the largest refiner in the US, the company has benefitted from wide “crack spreads,” or the margin between the cost of crude oil and the petroleum products extracted from it. Exxon continues to invest in refining capacity in the US, which industrywide has been in steady decline since 2019. We are pleased that Exxon has been using its strong cash flows to reduce debt and to return cash to shareholders through dividends and stock repurchases.”