Natural gas futures on Friday edged higher as robust liquefied natural gas (LNG) levels and a brightening economic picture offset festering worry about weak weather-driven demand heading into the spring shoulder season.

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The April Nymex contract climbed 5.4 cents day/day and settled at $2.535/MMBtu. May rose in tandem, gaining 5.5 cents to $2.566.

It marked the second time during the trading week the prompt month advanced, but only the third gain over the past 13 sessions as traders have fixated on waning heating demand and modest storage pulls. Forecasts for the week ahead called for generally mild conditions and modest demand for natural gas.

The outlook remains “in a generally lower than normal demand state, heading into a time of year where demand is of course lower...