Natural Gas At A Crossroads: Heading For A Shortage Or is The Market Still Oversupplied?

Against The Backdrop Of An Extremely Cold Winter, The Natural Gas Market Wavers

Natural gas prices have been in the dumps for a couple of years as the drillers found lots and lots (and lots) of gas reserves onshore in the US that are extractable at a reasonable cost using modern production technology.  As producers went hog wild in drilling wells, inventories piled up, prices crashed ($2/MCF natural gas was not that long ago) and natural gas consumers (utilities, chemical companies, etc.) starting burning up as much of the stuff as they possibly could.  It seemed the glut of natural gas would never go away and prices would always be low.  However, the winter of 2013-2014 has proven to be one of the coldest in a couple of decades and demand has suddenly ballooned for natural gas as heating fuel.  The overhang of excess supply is about gone as everyone tried to stay warm and prices have risen to in excess of $5/MCF for the front month future and $4 and change for the rest of the futures curve. In times past when supplies have gotten short in the natural gas (and just about every other commodity) market, it has not been uncommon to see parabolic upward moves in the price of the commodity.  However, natural gas is nowhere near panicky shortage pricing that has been seen in the past (natural gas was $20/MCF after the 2005 hurricane season), perhaps due to the view that we are still standing on a sea of natural gas and any shortfall in supply will be temporary.  Which way will natural gas prices move in coming months and more importantly how can an investor most appropriately make money off whatever direction the market moves?

Stable Value Funds: 8th Wonder Of The World Or Smoke And Mirrors?

How Stable Value Funds Work And How Best To Use Them

 

Get it?  A stable.

Many 401k and 403b plans have a stable value fund (AKA interest income fund) as one of the investment options.  These funds don't have a ticker symbol, have sometimes rather vague and opaque disclosure documents available on them, and it is hard to get any research or informed opinion on them. Stable value funds are only offered in "qualified" retirement plans such as 401ks and 403bs.  All most plan participants know about them is that they are "stable" and sometimes what the current interest rate offered by the fund has been recently.  In this post I will discuss how these funds are constructed and the best way to use them in your 401k or 403b.

Published On Seeking Alpha: Navios Acquisition: A Quality Company At Close To Net Asset Value

With one of the strongest management teams in the industry and a preference for long term charters to mitigate the high risk inherent in the shipping industry, Navios Acquisition (NNA) has survived the global recession, a period of greatly restricted funding for ship owners, and the bankruptcy and financial distress of less well-positioned industry peers. After a recent sell-off from 52 week highs, the company appears to be a good value for investors desiring exposure to the crude and refined products tanker business as the company's shares trade at a small premium to net asset value.

To see the rest, go here: http://seekingalpha.com/article/1999401-navios-acquisition-a-quality-company-at-close-to-net-asset-value

As always, this is meant as entertainment rather than investing advice.  Consult your advisors, throw the yarrow sticks and get out the I Ching, do your own due diligence, take you own risks.

Update: My Seeking Alpha Article On PTRY Selected As A Top Idea Of The Day

Since this is only the second piece I have submitted to Seeking Alpha, I don't know how rare this is for a contributor, but I imagine that its not that common given how few I see in the list: http://seekingalpha.com/article/1990351-sa-pro-top-long-and-short-ideas-tuesday-february-4?source=notify_popup&notified=1988591

Now to find out if I get paid more for such great work...