U.S. Natural Gas Futures Surge 24.1% Amid Cold Weather Blast
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 20 2026
0mins
Source: seekingalpha
- Demand Surge: A blast of freezing weather sweeping across large parts of the U.S. is expected to significantly increase heating and electricity generation demand, driving natural gas futures up 24.1% to a year-to-date high of $3.853/MMBtu.
- Weather Impact: A major winter storm is forecasted to bring heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain by Friday, exacerbating cold conditions in the southern U.S. and potentially disrupting natural gas production and supply.
- Market Volatility: With speculator short positions at a 14-month high, the market faces further bullish risks, particularly as sub-zero temperatures threaten production freeze-offs in the Marcellus and Bakken shale regions.
- Production Outlook: Despite the current price surge, EBW analysts caution that any warming in weather models into mid-February could soften near-term price spikes, indicating that the market must remain vigilant regarding future weather impacts on natural gas prices.
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Analyst Views on AR
Wall Street analysts forecast AR stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for AR is 45.40 USD with a low forecast of 36.00 USD and a high forecast of 55.00 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.
16 Analyst Rating
11 Buy
5 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 34.460
Low
36.00
Averages
45.40
High
55.00
Current: 34.460
Low
36.00
Averages
45.40
High
55.00
About AR
Antero Resources Corporation is an independent natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs) company. The Company is engaged in the acquisition, development and production of unconventional properties located in the Appalachian Basin in West Virginia and Ohio. The Company’s segments include the exploration, development and production of natural gas, NGLs and oil; marketing of excess firm transportation capacity, and midstream services through its equity method investment in Antero Midstream. The Company targets large, repeatable resource plays where horizontal drilling and advanced fracture stimulation technologies provide the means to economically develop and produce natural gas, NGLs and oil from unconventional formations. The Company holds approximately 521,000 net acres of natural gas, NGLs and oil properties located in the Appalachian Basin primarily in West Virginia and Ohio.
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.
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