US Natural Gas Futures Plunge Amid Shifts in Weather Outlook and Tech Earnings
The US natural gas market took a significant hit on Tuesday, with futures falling 8.2% to $3.697/mmBtu, amidst shifts in the weather outlook and tech earnings that are affecting energy demand.
Analysts point out that a substantial warmup in February temperature forecasts has reduced the likelihood of a deep winter, which had been supporting higher natural gas prices. Additionally, easing demand due to last week's Arctic blast is expected to be reflected in a bullish inventory report this week, with a significant withdrawal from storage turning the surplus over the 5-year average into a deficit.
Mizuho analyst Robert Yawger notes that "natural gas 'is also getting sucked into the energy infrastructure providing gas to utilities to generate power for the data center' theme," as losses in energy and tech stocks due to the Chinese development of a cheaper and more energy-efficient AI model have pushed investors towards more traditional energy assets.
Meanwhile, experts at EBW Analytics warn that "bullish outcomes remain possible with nearly half of winter still aheadβbut appear increasingly less likely after the milder weekend fundamental shifts." The Nymex front month is currently down 6.5% to $3.766/mmBtu.
The sharp decline in US natural gas futures highlights the complex interplay between weather forecasts, energy demand, and investor sentiment in the market. As winter approaches, traders will be closely monitoring updates on temperature forecasts and energy demand to gauge potential opportunities for price gains or losses.
The US natural gas market took a significant hit on Tuesday, with futures falling 8.2% to $3.697/mmBtu, amidst shifts in the weather outlook and tech earnings that are affecting energy demand.
Analysts point out that a substantial warmup in February temperature forecasts has reduced the likelihood of a deep winter, which had been supporting higher natural gas prices. Additionally, easing demand due to last week's Arctic blast is expected to be reflected in a bullish inventory report this week, with a significant withdrawal from storage turning the surplus over the 5-year average into a deficit.
Mizuho analyst Robert Yawger notes that "natural gas 'is also getting sucked into the energy infrastructure providing gas to utilities to generate power for the data center' theme," as losses in energy and tech stocks due to the Chinese development of a cheaper and more energy-efficient AI model have pushed investors towards more traditional energy assets.
Meanwhile, experts at EBW Analytics warn that "bullish outcomes remain possible with nearly half of winter still aheadβbut appear increasingly less likely after the milder weekend fundamental shifts." The Nymex front month is currently down 6.5% to $3.766/mmBtu.
The sharp decline in US natural gas futures highlights the complex interplay between weather forecasts, energy demand, and investor sentiment in the market. As winter approaches, traders will be closely monitoring updates on temperature forecasts and energy demand to gauge potential opportunities for price gains or losses.