U.S. oil companies, still smarting from the crude price rout, are attracting a wave of new investment from unlikely sources – hedge funds and private equity firms flocking to the energy market for the first time to bet on a rebound. By pouring billions of dollars into energy shares and bonds in the past few months these newcomers, dubbed “energy tourists” by Houston’s seasoned dealmakers, have thrown a lifeline to scores of companies that a few months ago looked like potential targets for bigger rivals or distressed debt and restructuring specialists. “You’ve got generalist funds that have never invested in energy coming out of the woodwork,” Michael Ames, an energy investment banker at Raymond James, told a meeting of oil and gas executives this month. So far this year, 40 oil and gas companies raised $18.7 billion in new share sales, while 35 firms issued $26.4 billion in […]