10 Best Natural Gas Stocks to Buy Right Now

Industry Overview - US natural gas futures surged by approximately 10% in 2025 due to high energy demand from data centers and record LNG exports, but prices have since fallen over 34% due to forecasts of warmer temperatures leading to lower heating demand [1] - The US Energy Information Administration projected domestic gas consumption to rise from a record 90.4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) in 2024 to 91.8 bcfd in 2025, driven by the booming LNG sector [2] - The United States shipped 111 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2025, making it the world's largest LNG exporter [2] Company Insights - Energy Transfer LP (NYSE:ET) is one of the largest and most diversified midstream energy companies in North America, with a strategic footprint across all major US production basins [7] - Energy Transfer LP announced the suspension of its Lake Charles LNG export facility development to focus on natural gas pipelines, which are seen as more lucrative [8] - The company plans to increase the transportation capacity of its Transwestern pipeline expansion to meet regional growth demand, raising the pipeline diameter from 42 to 48 inches, increasing capacity to 2.3 billion cubic feet per day (cf/day) [9] - Energy Transfer LP has also secured agreements with hyperscalers to supply natural gas to their data centers amid rising energy demand [10] Investment Opportunities - Cenovus Energy Inc. (NYSE:CVE) is an integrated energy company with operations in Canada and the Asia Pacific, and it has an upside potential of 26.67% as of January 5 [11] - Goldman Sachs analyst reinstated coverage of Cenovus with a 'Buy' rating and a price target of $20, indicating a 20% upside from the current share price [12] - Cenovus's acquisition of MEG Energy has added 110,000 barrels per day (bpd) of long-life, low-cost assets, expected to generate strong free cash flow and contribute to a 4% year-over-year growth in production [12] - The sale of a 50% interest in the Wood River and Borger refineries to Phillips 66 has improved Cenovus's fundamentals and simplified its downstream business [13] - Cenovus Energy Inc. offers an annual dividend yield of 3.49%, making it a candidate for portfolio diversification [14]