사진 확대 As the U.S. “tariff war” began in earnest, the supply chain reorganization surrounding liquefied natural gas (LNG) began.
According to the financial investment industry on the 16th, natural gas prices, which touched short-term lows at the end of January, rose more than 22% in less than two weeks, raising investor sentiment in LNG-related stocks.
The United States has established itself as the largest exporter of LNG until last year following 2023. In particular, in the second phase of Donald Trump, as LNG has emerged as a key card for the tariff war, trade surplus countries around the world are considering expanding imports. U.S. President Donald Trump aims to win “energy hegemony” beyond simple “energy independence” by actively exporting his own energy.
A case in point is the announcement of an agreement between President Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to restore the United States to India’s leading oil and gas supplier and that India will fill the trade deficit by buying U.S. oil and gas.
It is in the same vein as Japan put forward cards such as expanding LNG imports and developing joint natural gas in Alaska at the summit with the United States.
Along with the U.S.-style “national priority” policy, LNG is considered a key energy source to lower power rates in the U.S.
Renewable energy, hydropower, and nuclear power generation induce a decrease in the unit price of gas power generation by expanding natural gas development because it is difficult to control production and cost.
In fact, gas power generation was cheaper than eco-friendly power generation such as wind, solar, and offshore wind power in the United States based on the exclusion of subsidies in 2023.
According to financial research firm LSEG, US LNG demand reached 15.2 billion cubic feet (bcf/d) at the end of last year, and is estimated to reach 17.8 billion cubic feet this year. Since 2021, natural gas consumption has steadily increased.
An official from a financial investment industry said, “The LNG supply is abundant enough to fill the world’s gas demand for the next few years with only U.S. LNG exports,” adding, “Trump needs more LNG ships to increase U.S. LNG exports, and it affects the increase in orders for Korean shipbuilders, not China.”
As a result, investor sentiment among U.S. natural gas-related stocks seems to be growing. GE Vernova (GEV), the world’s No. 1 gas turbine operator, is the most notable company in this field.
Wall Street has already selected him as a prospect to lead the stock market this year, but the stock price is currently up only about 9% from the beginning of the year. The stock currently sits around $370 but the Wall Street analyst average price target is $422, which still has room for gains.
analyst Ben Calo Baird has a price target of $448 on GE Vernova.
GE Bernova will play a key role in meeting the growing demand for energy and energy infrastructure, Kahlo said. “The growing demand for energy generation solutions will strengthen GE Bernova’s pricing capabilities, which will have a positive impact on its long-term financial goals that will continue through 2028.”
Interest in EQT Corporation (EQT), a U.S. natural gas producer, is also increasing. EQT is up about 13% throughout the year.
In its third-quarter earnings report last year, the company reported earnings per share of 12 cents, well ahead of Wall Street estimates of 5 cents.
Meanwhile, the natural gas exchange-traded funds (ETF) called “ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Natural Gas (BOIL)” and “U.S. Natural Gas Fund (UNG)” rose 30.48% and 15.52%, respectively, from the beginning of the year.
[Reporter Hong Seongyong]