Natural gas is setting up bullish on two separate timeframes, according to recently published research.
On the near-term view, one camp of analysts recommends accumulating Henry Hub gas in the $3.00–$3.25 range, targeting a move to $4.00 or above through 2026. That call leans on the EIA's 2026 average price forecast of $3.50, and argues the market will work through today's elevated storage and strong production over the course of next year.
A separate structural thesis layered on top makes a longer-horizon case: surging electricity demand from US data centers needs a fuel that is abundant, clean, and efficient — and published research argues natural gas is the natural winner for this next phase of power demand growth. That view extends the bullish read to pipelines and midstream infrastructure as a multi-year AI build-out story, rather than a 2026 price call.
The two threads don't compete — they stack. One is a tactical accumulation window over the next year. The other is a structural demand story measured in years.