One of the most important things that investors need to understand about the energy sector is that oil and natural gas prices tend to be highly volatile. They can, and do, go up and down in dramatic fashion. As an energy producer, Pioneer Natural Resources' (NYSE: PXD) financial results and stock performance end up being heavily influenced by commodity price volatility. A look at the last three years shows very clearly how this one issue could lead to huge price gains or huge declines.

Between June 12, 2023 and Sept. 7, 2023 Pioneer Natural Resources stock jumped nearly 20%. The S&P 500 Index, meanwhile, only rose around 3% over that same time span. It's not unusual for a company to outperform for short periods of time. But taking a look at another time period here adds to the intrigue.

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Source Fool.com