Natural gas: published research is leaning bullish, citing both a tactical entry now and a structural demand story stretching to 2050.
On the tactical side, one camp of analysts flags Henry Hub around $3.05–$3.15 as an attractive accumulation zone, targeting a move above $4.00. The setup rests on storage running 6% above the five-year average and strong injection trends, with no weather shock yet to disturb it — making the next storage report a key catalyst.
Zooming out, recently-published views frame gas as a structural growth story: global energy demand is projected to rise 40% by 2050, with the energy transition described as expansion rather than substitution. The extended Strait of Hormuz closure, which disrupted LNG flows, is cast as reinforcing the case for diversified, reliable gas supply.
On LNG specifically, the views split by horizon, not direction. One thread sees Japan LNG import prices falling from ~$19.5/mmbtu in Q3 2026 toward ~$10.8/mmbtu by Q3 2028 as Middle East disruptions ease. A separate near-term view expects European TTF gas to stay above seasonal norms over the next 6–9 months — roughly 46, 43, and 48 EUR/MWh across Q2, Q3, and winter — on lingering tightness.