Key Takeaways
- • Robinhood Strategies Chief Investment Officer Steph Guild said energy remains 'the best hedge' in the market, noting it is one of only two sectors outperforming the S&P 500 this year.
- • The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) has gained more than 45% year to date, per the Stocktwits report, with information technology the only other sector beating the index.
- • Robinhood Strategies sold Exxon Mobil (XOM) shares to buy EOG Resources (EOG) and also favors Diamondback Energy (FANG), which Guild described as 'doing interesting things.'
- • Guild said she prefers individual energy stocks over an energy ETF, adding that the sector allocation should stay the same while stock selection is revisited ('continue to pick your spots').
- • Guild stated the picks were her preference rather than investment advice.
Summary
Steph Guild, chief investment officer of Robinhood Markets Inc. (HOOD), where she runs Robinhood Strategies, said at the HOOD Summit that energy is one of the best hedges in the stock market at present. Speaking to Phil Rosen in Houston, Texas, she said the sector has been the strongest hedge this year and that she does not expect that to change. According to Stocktwits, the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) has gained more than 45% this year, well ahead of the S&P 500, with information technology the only other sector outperforming the index.
The Stocktwits report attributes the energy rally to oil and energy prices rising in 2026 after the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, which disrupted supply after the Strait of Hormuz was blocked from late February. At the time of writing, Brent crude futures were trading above $100 a barrel. Guild argued that energy prices feed into almost everything, including technology, and said investors should 'continue to pick your spots but keep your allocation to the sector the same.'
Guild identified Exxon Mobil and Chevron Corp. (CVX) as the two largest names in the sector but said Robinhood Strategies prefers EOG Resources and Diamondback Energy. She said the firm sold its Exxon shares to buy EOG, reflecting an ongoing search for 'where the next opportunity is within the space.' Asked whether she would instead buy an energy-sector ETF, she said that opportunity had largely passed given the sector's gains this year. Stocktwits noted that retail sentiment on all five energy names it tracks was 'bearish' or lower. Guild emphasized that the comments were her preferences and not investment advice.
The Stocktwits report attributes the energy rally to oil and energy prices rising in 2026 after the U.S.-Israel war with Iran, which disrupted supply after the Strait of Hormuz was blocked from late February. At the time of writing, Brent crude futures were trading above $100 a barrel. Guild argued that energy prices feed into almost everything, including technology, and said investors should 'continue to pick your spots but keep your allocation to the sector the same.'
Guild identified Exxon Mobil and Chevron Corp. (CVX) as the two largest names in the sector but said Robinhood Strategies prefers EOG Resources and Diamondback Energy. She said the firm sold its Exxon shares to buy EOG, reflecting an ongoing search for 'where the next opportunity is within the space.' Asked whether she would instead buy an energy-sector ETF, she said that opportunity had largely passed given the sector's gains this year. Stocktwits noted that retail sentiment on all five energy names it tracks was 'bearish' or lower. Guild emphasized that the comments were her preferences and not investment advice.
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