Expand Energy Shares Rise 4% as Natural Gas Prices Surge 25%
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 20 2026
0mins
Source: CNBC
- Natural Gas Surge: Natural gas prices soared 25% to $3.89 per million British thermal units on Tuesday, marking the best single-day performance in four years, which is expected to drive heating demand up across the U.S. and boost Expand Energy's shares by over 4%.
- Gold Mining Rally: With gold prices hitting a fresh record high above $4,700 per troy ounce, gold mining stocks surged, with IAMGOLD rising over 15%, Anglogold Ashanti gaining nearly 7%, and Gold Fields increasing by 6%, indicating strong market demand and renewed investor confidence in the sector.
- Intel Stock Upgrade: Intel shares rose more than 5% after Seaport Research upgraded the stock from neutral to buy, setting a price target of $65, implying nearly a 40% upside from Friday's close, reflecting optimistic market sentiment regarding its future growth potential.
- 3M Earnings Miss: 3M's stock fell 7% following its latest earnings report, projecting adjusted earnings between $8.50 and $8.70 per share, below the FactSet consensus estimate of $8.64, despite beating earnings expectations in Q4, highlighting ongoing challenges for the company.
Analyst Views on AU
Wall Street analysts forecast AU stock price to fall over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for AU is 104.40 USD with a low forecast of 90.00 USD and a high forecast of 131.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
5 Analyst Rating
5 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 108.090
Low
90.00
Averages
104.40
High
131.00
Current: 108.090
Low
90.00
Averages
104.40
High
131.00
About AU
AngloGold Ashanti plc is a global gold mining company with a diverse portfolio of operations, projects and exploration activities in 10 countries, across four continents. The Company’s diverse portfolio includes approximately 11 operations in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Egypt, Ghana, Guinea and Tanzania. The Company’s portfolio includes Africa, the Americas, and Australia. Its Africa portfolio includes Kibali- managed by Barrick Gold Corporation, Egypt (Sukari), Ghana (Iduapriem and Obuasi), Guinea (Siguiri) and Tanzania (Geita). The Americas hosts three of its operations, one in Argentina and two in Brazil, as well as two greenfield projects in Colombia and a significant new greenfield development in Nevada in the United States. Australia hosts two of its operations, which include Sunrise Dam and Tropicana, both in the north-eastern goldfields in the state of Western Australia.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
