Bargain-seeking investors have turned bullish on embattled energy stocks, plowing record amounts into the industry. More than $3.16 billion went into exchange-traded funds holding stakes in Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) , Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB) and other energy stocks this month, even as the price of oil fell 20 percent, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. That’s almost four times the average for the year and more than the prior record in December 2007, when oil was trading near $91 a barrel. “There definitely seems to be evidence of investors seeking to bottom-fish this market and pre-position for 2015,” David Mazza, head of ETF research at State Street Corp., said in a phone interview. “Some investors we’ve spoken with don’t believe the negative picture on energy that’s become consensus.” Investors are betting on a higher long-term price for crude oil. Brent, the global benchmark, has traded around $60 a barrel […]