interest rates

Natural Gas Prices, Infrastructure Investments Await Fed Action on High Interest Rates

Natural Gas Prices, Infrastructure Investments Await Fed Action on High Interest Rates

Federal Reserve (Fed) policymakers left their benchmark interest rate unchanged and near the highest level of this century – where it has held since mid-2023 – amid lingering inflation worries. However, Fed officials on Wednesday hinted that costs are nearing a healthy level. That could open the door for rate reductions and lower borrowing costs…

March 21, 2024
Fed Keeps Borrowing Costs High, Maintaining Wildcard for Natural Gas Infrastructure Development, Prices

Fed Keeps Borrowing Costs High, Maintaining Wildcard for Natural Gas Infrastructure Development, Prices

Federal Reserve (Fed) policymakers on Wednesday, citing the resilience of the U.S. job market and broader economy, left interest rates at elevated levels. This, in turn, could deter borrowing and new investment at a time when natural gas producers are bracing for long-term growth to meet a surge in global LNG demand. At issue: The…

February 1, 2024
Natural Gas Futures Surge, Spot Prices Extend Rally on Surprisingly Bullish Inventory Data

Natural Gas Futures Surge, Spot Prices Extend Rally on Surprisingly Bullish Inventory Data

Natural gas futures on Thursday rallied for a fourth consecutive session, bolstered by a bullish storage print that came on the heels of hotter weather and lower production. The July Nymex gas futures contract settled at $2.533/MMBtu, up 19.1 cents day/day. August jumped 19.6 cents to $2.609. At A Glance: EIA prints 84 Bcf injection…

June 15, 2023
Weaker Natural Gas Prices, Higher Borrowing Costs Push Inflation Lower

Weaker Natural Gas Prices, Higher Borrowing Costs Push Inflation Lower

Weakened natural gas prices – following a massive run-up last summer – intersected with rising interest rates to ease inflation that had only a few months ago reached a 40-year high. Further New York Mercantile Exchange gas futures price drops early this year, owing in part to relatively benign winter weather across most of January,…

February 8, 2023
Fed Foreshadowing Rate Hikes, but Signaling Strong Conditions for Oil, Natural Gas Demand

Fed Foreshadowing Rate Hikes, but Signaling Strong Conditions for Oil, Natural Gas Demand

With inflation surging, led by lofty oil and natural gas prices in 2021, Federal Reserve policymakers this week said they would hasten their drawdown of pandemic aid and signaled they could raise interest rates multiple times in 2022. While the shift presents potential downsides for energy companies in the year ahead – notably, higher borrowing…

December 17, 2021