Why Antero Resources, SM Energy, and Kosmos Energy Jumped 12% or More at the Open Today

Shares of energy company Antero Resources (NYSE: AR) rose roughly 12% within the first hour of trading on Jan. 5. That's a pretty impressive jump out of the gate, but it was easily beaten by the 14% gain at Kosmos Energy (NYSE: KOS). And that, in turn, was outdone by the slightly over 15% advance that SM Energy (NYSE: SM) achieved. There wasn't any material news out of any of these exploration and production companies, but that doesn't mean there was no news to consider.

Antero, Kosmos, and SM Energy all share one important trait: Their top and bottom lines fluctuate with the ups and downs of the commodities they produce. And, on that score, oil and natural gas saw notable gains in early trading today. Although the stock gains are, in some ways, as simple as that to understand, there's more to the story in the energy patch that investors need to know.

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Source Fool.com