What happened Shares of U.S. oil and gas exploration and production company Centennial Resource Development (NASDAQ: CDEV) rose more than 6% out of the gate on Tuesday. They quickly lost around half of that gain, trading with a more modest 3% or so advance at roughly 11 a.m. EDT today. The easy answer for this up and down was the price of oil. So what News that trade relations between the United States and China weren't as bad as feared sent oil prices higher in early trading. It would indeed be good news for the global economy if its two largest players found a way to get along at least a little bit better right now. But the early excitement faded and energy prices pulled back. Thus, the rise and fall of Centennial's stock price. Image source: Getty Images. But the bigger issue is why Centennial is so sensitive to emotional shifts in the oil space. Essentially, the energy company has a heavy debt load that it has been struggling to carry amid low energy prices. A perfect example of the issue is the company's decision earlier in the year to exchange debt carrying interest rates of roughly 5.4% and 6.9% for new debt that would cost it 8%. Interest rates are historically low, so the market's demand for higher rates here is a sign of company-specific financial risk. Clearly, there are problems on the balance sheet. Energy prices moving sustainably higher could be the difference between Centennial muddling through this industry rough patch or not. Now what Investors willing to invest here should expect volatility to continue. In fact, by recent standards, today's price move was pretty tame. Over the past month, the stock nearly doubled at one point, only to lose most of the gain. It's now up just 6% or so over that span. Such wild swings, while exciting, suggest that long-term investors should probably stay on the sidelines. 10 stocks we like better than Centennial Resource Development, Inc.When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the ten best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Centennial Resource Development, Inc. wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2020 Reuben Gregg Brewer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.Source