Picks in our theme include oil and gas bellwether Exxon Mobil (XOM), which has gained a whopping 43% this year, and Chevron (CVX), which is up by about 23%. Inflation in the United States continues to surge with the consumer price index (CPI) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics rising 7% in December 2021, the largest 12-month increase since June 1982. Prices have generally been trending higher due to the supply side disruptions and bottlenecks caused by the pandemic, shortages in the labor market, and also by unprecedented demand for goods and services following the easing of lockdowns.