Higher oil prices—back when electric vehicles were new and investors had never seen triple-digit oil prices—were once a bullish boon for both EV sales and EV manufacturers’ stock prices.
That line of thinking fell out of favor as the EV industry matured. Consider Tesla (TSLA): the EV maker’s stock fell almost 12% in May, the same month the Colonial Pipeline was hacked, disrupting gasoline supplies, and oil prices rose more than 4%.
However, as oil prices climb higher this year and continue to do so—oil prices are up another 3.7% in June—one Wall Street analyst is dusting off the old EV-oil trading playbook.
Why oil prices helped EV stocks isn’t hard to grasp. EVs are more expensive to purchase up-front than gasoline-powered automobiles. Rechargeable lithium ion batteries are far more expensive than gas tanks. However, it costs less to charge the batteries than to fill a gas tank. And higher oil prices mean higher gasoline prices, which could drive consumers into EVs.
Higher oil prices helped boost Toyota Prius sales, which went from averaging roughly 140,000 a year in 2009 and 2010 to 240,000 between 2011 and 2013. Back then, oil prices averaged roughly $70 a barrel from 2009 to 2010, when Prius sales were averaging the lower number. Oil averaged roughly $95 a barrel from 2011 to 2013—the same time Prius sales increased.
That’s one example, but the oil price/EV sale trade has broken down in recent years. Don’t forget, oil prices dropped in 2020 while Tesla sales hit a record of about 500,00 units.
Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas thinks a linkage between oil and EVs may reappear. He pointed out in a Wednesday report that higher oil prices make EVs relatively more attractive. That much is obvious, but he also thinks prices won’t lead governments to relax drilling restrictions or invest in refining capacity to drive down oil prices. Instead, Jonas believes, higher oil prices will accelerate government support for EVs. That’s important, but the biggest boost to the EV sector will come when EVs cost the same as gasoline-powered cars—something Jonas says could happen as soon as “mid-decade.”
Jonas’ preferred stocks to play the EV trend are General Motors (GM),Aptiv(APTV) and Tesla, all of which he rates Buy. Jonas also calls EV startup Fisker(FSR) his sleeper EV pick. And battery startup QuantumScape(QS) his “battery biotech” pick.
Biotech stocks tend to have binary outcomes. They have big upside if drugs work and big downside is they don’t. That is how he thinks about Quantum: It is pioneering new battery technology that promises higher performance and lower costs. If it works, investors will be rewarded, but the company is years away from commercialization. Both Fisker and QuantumScape are Buy-rated, as well.
His quintet of stocks has had a mixed year. General Motors and Aptiv have outperformed the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average.The EV pure-play stocks—Tesla, Fisker and QuantumScape—have all lagged the broader market.
GM and Aptiv stocks are up 52% and 20% year to date, respectively. Fisker stock has risen about 9%. Meanwhile, Tesla and QuantumScape shares are down 19% and 66%, respectively.