The Year Ahead in Energy

This column was originally published on RealMoney on Dec. 20 at 3:42 p.m. EST. It's being republished as a bonus for TheStreet.com readers. For more information about subscribing to RealMoney, please click here.

In light of robust oil and natural gas prices, many investors are hoping that 2007 will be another solid year for energy equities.

While 2006 has been a good year for many energy investors, it wasn't quite as strong as 2005. Moreover, there are growing concerns that oil and natural gas inventories are building and that an economic slowdown could curtail demand. Both could affect prices of commodities and energy stocks. ...