Company Description
Adams Natural Resources Fund, Inc. (NYSE: PEO) is a closed-end U.S. equity fund that focuses on the energy and natural resources sectors. According to available information, it is a non-diversified fund that invests in liquid energy and other natural resources stocks, with a majority of its assets typically allocated to petroleum or natural resources industries or industries connected to them. The Fund’s stated investment objectives are preservation of capital, reasonable income, and opportunity for capital gain.
Adams Natural Resources Fund is part of Adams Funds, which is described in multiple company releases as being comprised of two closed-end funds: Adams Diversified Equity Fund, Inc. (NYSE: ADX) and Adams Natural Resources Fund, Inc. (NYSE: PEO). Adams Funds states that it has been helping investors reach their goals since 1929 and that the funds are actively managed by an experienced team with a disciplined approach. The Fund trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PEO.
Investment focus and portfolio characteristics
The Fund’s portfolio is concentrated in energy and materials companies. Disclosures in the Fund’s performance updates show that its benchmark is composed of the S&P 500 Energy Sector and the S&P 500 Materials Sector, with a stated benchmark allocation of 80% to the S&P 500 Energy Sector and 20% to the S&P 500 Materials Sector in several periods. The Fund also notes that it predominantly invests in stocks found in these sectors. The Fund has broad flexibility to invest in stocks of varying capitalizations, as indicated in its description.
Periodic reports list the Fund’s ten largest equity portfolio holdings and industry weightings. Across multiple reporting dates, the largest positions have included companies such as Exxon Mobil Corporation, Chevron Corporation, ConocoPhillips, Linde plc, EOG Resources, Inc., Williams Companies, Inc., Phillips 66, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Kinder Morgan, Inc., Baker Hughes Company, ONEOK, Inc., Hess Corporation, Valero Energy Corporation, and others, with these holdings representing a significant percentage of net assets at each date disclosed. Industry weightings reported by the Fund show exposure across integrated oil & gas, exploration & production, storage & transportation, refining & marketing, and equipment & services within energy, and chemicals, metals & mining, containers & packaging, construction materials, and energy-related holdings within materials.
Distribution policy and income characteristics
Adams Natural Resources Fund emphasizes a long history of paying dividends and capital gains distributions. Company communications state that the funds have paid dividends for more than 85 years, and in some releases more than 90 years, across many market cycles. The Fund has highlighted consecutive years of distributions, noting, for example, that it has paid out capital gains for over seventy consecutive years and dividends for close to ninety consecutive years in specific announcements.
The Fund has also described a commitment to a minimum annual distribution ratePerformance reporting and benchmark comparison
Adams Natural Resources Fund regularly reports its total return on net asset value and market price over various time periods, including one-, three-, five-, and ten-year horizons. These reports compare the Fund’s results with those of its benchmark, which is composed of the S&P 500 Energy Sector and the S&P 500 Materials Sector, and in some periods specify different weights for those sectors. The Fund also discloses its net assets, shares outstanding, and net asset value per share at specific quarter- and year-end dates.
Performance tables in company releases show annual and multi-year comparative returns for the Fund’s NAV and market price, alongside the S&P 500 Energy Sector and S&P 500 Materials Sector. The Fund often comments on the impact of energy and materials sector performance on its results and notes that stock selection within these sectors has influenced relative performance versus its benchmark.
Structure and affiliation within Adams Funds
Adams Natural Resources Fund is described as one of the nation’s oldest closed-end funds and as the longest-tenured closed-end fund specializing in energy and natural resources stocks. It is affiliated with Adams Diversified Equity Fund, Inc., and together they make up Adams Funds. The funds are characterized as actively managed, with an experienced team and a disciplined approach, and they highlight a focus on long-term shareholder value and consistent distributions.
Adams Funds communications emphasize a long operating history dating back to 1929, a focus on helping generations of investors reach their investment goals, and a commitment to aligning interests with shareholders. The Fund notes that shares can be purchased through its transfer agent or through a broker.
Risk profile and sector concentration
As a non-diversified fund that invests primarily in energy and natural resources equities, Adams Natural Resources Fund’s performance is closely tied to the energy and materials sectors. Its reported industry weightings show significant concentration in integrated oil & gas and exploration & production, with additional exposure to refining & marketing, storage & transportation, and equipment & services, as well as chemicals and other materials subsectors. This concentration means that sector-specific developments can have a meaningful impact on the Fund’s net asset value and distributions.
Frequently referenced features
Across its public communications, Adams Natural Resources Fund highlights several recurring features: its closed-end structure, focus on energy and natural resources stocks, long history of distributions, managed distribution policy targeting a specified annual rate of NAV, active management, and affiliation with the broader Adams Funds organization. These elements frame PEO as a specialized vehicle for investors seeking exposure to energy and materials equities with an emphasis on income and long-term capital appreciation, as described in the Fund’s stated objectives and policies.