Why energy could be a great place to invest even with oil prices retreating — 5 stocks to buy

POWER POINT What I'm hearing from energy insiders While the world watches and waits on every word around the Strait of Hormuz, investors are moving on. Mostly. It's 'mostly' because no one is suggesting that the troubles are over and things are back to normal. Far from it. But as I write this, the Joint Maritime Information Center notes that "traffic flows began increasing with improvements in anchorage congestion across the region" near the SOH. Marine Traffic and Kpler also tell us that the number of ships steaming through the Strait is rising. United States Central Command highlighted that as of a few days ago 55 merchant ships transited [the Strait]. Moving "large amounts of cargo and more than 17 million barrels of oil to global markets." While that number is well above where it was for much of the past few months, it remains below the prewar levels. Still, the recent news flow around ship traffic has undoubtedly been positive. MY TAKE → It's less how many ships are leaving the Arabian Gulf than how many are going in . That is the key data point and number I'll be watching the next few days. As we've talked about here and on CNBC, contradictory or often conflicting headlines are the norm not the exception. To make sense of it, just follow the data and the trade. Oil just broke below $75 for the first time since the Iran war began. Gasoline prices will be slower to react but you should still see some relief at the pump. …