Natural gas live price investing advice

Октябрь 2, 2012

Malasar

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natural gas live price investing advice

NG00 | A complete Natural Gas Continuous Contract futures overview by MarketWatch. View the futures and commodity market news, futures pricing and futures. Get Natural Gas (Nov'22) (@NGNew York Mercantile Exchange) real-time stock quotes, news, price and financial information from CNBC. A natural gas futures contract is an agreement to exchange the commodity at a predetermined price on a specific date in the future. Futures can. BETH S PLACE TUSCOLA ILLINOIS

One is to purchase varying amounts of physical raw commodities, such as precious metal bullion. Investors can also invest through the use of futures contracts or exchange-traded products ETPs that directly track a specific commodity index. These are highly volatile and complex investments that are generally recommended for sophisticated investors only. Another way to gain exposure to commodities is through mutual funds that invest in commodity-related businesses.

For instance, an oil and gas fund would own stocks issued by companies involved in energy exploration, refining, storage, and distribution. Commodity stocks vs. Not necessarily. There are times when one investment outperforms the other so maintaining an allocation to each group might help contribute to a portfolio's overall long-term performance.

Advantages of commodity investing Diversification Over time, commodities and commodity stocks tend to provide returns that differ from other stocks and bonds. A portfolio with assets that don't move in lockstep can help you better manage market volatility. However, diversification does not ensure a profit or guarantee against loss. Potential returns Individual commodity prices can fluctuate due to factors such as supply and demand, exchange rates, inflation, and the overall health of the economy.

In recent years, increased demand due to massive global infrastructure projects has greatly influenced commodity prices. In general, a rise in commodity prices has had a positive impact on the stocks of companies in related industries. Potential hedge against inflation Inflation—which can erode the value of stocks and bonds—can often mean higher prices for commodities. Investments in foreign securities may involve political, economic, and currency risks, greater volatility, and differences in accounting methods.

A non-diversified fund, which may concentrate its assets in fewer individual holdings than a diversified fund, is more exposed to individual stock volatility than a diversified fund. A fund that concentrates its investments within one country, one sector, or a small group of industries, such as Japan, Technology, Financials, or Energy, may be subject to a higher degree of market risk.

Investments in debt securities typically decrease in value when interest rates rise. The risk is greater for longer-term debt securities. Investments in lower-rated and non-rated securities present a greater risk of loss to principal and interest than higher-rated securities. Mortgage- and asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk, which is the risk that the borrower will prepay some or all of the principal owed to the issuer.

Funds that invest in pooled investment vehicles including ETFs may experience higher fees. The formula-based strategy employed by some Funds may cause those Funds to buy or sell securities at times when it may not be advantageous. A Fund does not receive the same tax benefits as a direct investment in an MLP. The prices of MLP units may fluctuate abruptly and trading volume may be low, making it difficult for a Fund to sell its units at a favorable price. MLP general partners have the power to take actions that adversely affect the interests of unit holders.

Most MLPs do not pay U. The Midstream Fund will not benefit from current favorable federal income tax rates on long-term capital gains, and Fund income and losses will not be passed on to shareholders. The Midstream Fund accrues deferred income taxes for future tax liabilities associated with the portion of MLP distributions considered to be a tax-deferred return of capital and for any net operating gains as well as capital appreciation of its investments.

Natural gas live price investing advice latest forex news and analysis

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The United States is the largest producer of natural gas in the world. The demand for natural gas is growing and so is the production. In the past, natural gas was viewed mostly as a way to heat and cool our homes. If there was a particularly brutal winter, there was a big increase in demand, which drove up the prices. Not only can the U. Natural gas, since it is the cleanest burning fossil fuel, competes in the energy market with renewable sources of energy.

Natural gas is a valuable complementary source of energy to wind and solar energy. The U. The market for natural gas is affected by many factors. Weather and economic conditions impact the price and availability of natural gas. The natural gas market has definite opportunities for investors because natural gas stands beside renewable energy sources as one of the fuels of the future There is a global need for this clean source of energy.

Types of Investments in Natural Gas There are a number of securities that you can use if you want to invest in natural gas. Here are the main ones: Stocks Stocks are a safer way to invest in natural gas than some of the other possible choices. There are five industries in the oil and gas sector , ranging from production to distribution. The betas of the industries making up this sector range from 1.

The systematic risk of the sector is more than that of the market, but only slightly. Where you can really see the risk of natural gas stocks, on average, is if you look at their debt-to-equity ratios. Because of the capital-intensive nature of the industry, the debt ratios are high for all the industries in the sector.

You can choose different natural gas companies to invest in from within the sector if you are trying to achieve some portfolio diversification. ETFs Because natural gas is one of the most popular commodities to trade , there are a number of exchange-traded funds ETFs that are baskets of natural gas securities.

You can achieve a slight amount of diversification by investing in an ETF since it is a basket of securities, much like mutual funds. The basket of different securities also insulates you to some extent from the daily fluctuations of the market. ETFs are considered to be fairly safe and reliable for investors. In the ETF space, you have a choice in investing.

But, you can also buy ETFs made up of the stock of various natural gas companies. Futures Futures are a more difficult and less safe way to invest in natural gas. Using futures directly, you will buy natural gas today for delivery at a later time at an agreed-upon price. Due to the price fluctuations in the natural gas market, futures are certainly riskier than stocks, but you also have the potential to make a significant return.

This was due to natural gas being the energy of choice for utilities and as industrial and commercial use fell, residential usage increased. Margins on residential gas are higher than on industrial and commercial. Because of this phenomenon, gas utility funds in particular may provide a more stable commodity for investors seeking true asset class diversification. Risks of Investing in Natural Gas Any investment comes with risks. This should cause natural gas prices to rise, but likely remain at relatively low and competitive levels.

Lower-priced substitutes: If prices from other sources decrease dramatically or if natural gas prices increase for a prolonged period, utilities may consider converting their plants. Global economic or political turmoil: Turmoil elsewhere would likely strengthen the US dollar and weaken demand for commodities. Other approaches, such as natural gas futures, options on futures, and contract for difference CFD derivative instruments can be quite risky and require a high degree of sophistication.

Individual Natural Gas Stocks Buying shares in publicly held natural gas companies — natural gas producers or production infrastructure companies — has advantages and disadvantages. The investor has complete control of which companies to invest in and the stocks they buy are highly liquid. However, building a diversified portfolio requires extensive research given that the energy sector comes with risks beyond typical management issues and competitive dynamics.

Geopolitics can upset markets overnight and natural gas prices are based on many complex factors and can be volatile see the Natural Gas Value Chain section below for a more in-depth look at the categories of companies in the sector. Further, many natural gas companies are involved in other energy products such as crude oil and will be significantly impacted by those sectors.

Natural Gas Mutual Funds To mitigate the risk associated with picking individual stocks, many investors choose natural gas mutual funds. These funds represent a portfolio of investments in stocks of natural gas companies and can cover a wide range of market caps and styles. They can also focus on a particular aspect of the industry. For example, funds that focus on natural gas distribution provide investors the opportunity to benefit from the growing demand for natural gas while limiting exposure to negative trends affecting other energy companies such as companies that operate in crude oil drilling in addition to natural gas.

Selecting Natural Gas Mutual Funds We encourage investors considering how to invest in natural gas to look at all available natural gas mutual funds to find the best funds that match their portfolio objectives. Hennessy offers the Hennessy Gas Utility Fund , a natural gas mutual fund.

Here are a few highlights: Focus on Distribution: The fund invests in the distribution side of the natural gas industry. This provides exposure to the growing demand for natural gas while limiting exposure to negative trends affecting other energy companies.

Historically Steady Dividend Payouts: Due to their relatively stable revenue streams, we expect dividend payouts to remain steady for the vast majority of our portfolio companies. Participation in Expansion of Renewable Energy: Many of the companies in the fund offer a diverse portfolio of energy solutions, providing not only natural gas but also renewable energy sources including solar, wind, and hydropower.

Natural Gas Overview To aid in your decision on whether and how to invest in natural gas, this section provides more background on the sector overall. What Is Natural Gas? Natural gas is a mixture of gases created deep underground as pressure and heat transformed carbon and hydrogen-rich plant and animal remains millions of years ago.

Sources of Natural Gas Natural gas is found in four main places as follows: Conventional natural gas occurs in spaces between layers of overlying rock formations. Unconventional natural gas, also known as shale gas or tight gas, is found in small spaces within sedimentary rock such as sandstone or shale formations. Associated natural gas occurs with crude oil deposits.

Coal bed methane is found in coal deposits. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing in sedimentary rock account for the majority of the increase in natural gas production since and shale gas currently accounts for roughly two-thirds of the total natural gas produced. Each of these segments has unique characteristics and unique investment opportunities and risks.

Below we provide a summary of the main segments. In general, in the Natural Gas value chain, the closer you are to the end-user, the potentially more stability you have in your investments. This includes exploration, processing and field equipment and services companies. Profits for these companies are usually highly correlated with natural gas and oil prices.

Midstream companies can often pass through fluctuations in natural gas prices to their customers and therefore their profits are not as correlated with natural gas and oil prices. The infrastructure and processing required to convey natural gas from wells to residential consumers, commercial manufacturing or electric power plants can be simplified into 3 main steps as follows: Storage.