Countertrend speculation in natural gas
I am generally loath to attempt to "catch a falling knife." But for those with a more speculative bent, a speculative opportunity for bottom-pickers is forming in the United States Natural Gas Fund LP (UNG). UNG has been doing lately what it has mostly done for the last 17 years-i.e., declining in price. Currently, UNG is trading at $13.13 a share, 6% above its November 2024 low of $12.35.

Why consider a long position in the face of such awful price action? There are two reasons. One is a favorable seasonal trend, and two is a built-in stop-loss point (i.e., a price below $12.35, giving a risk of 6% to 7%).
August, September, and October tend to be a favorable time of year for natural gas.

Below we see the hypothetical growth of $1 in natural gas from Trading Day of Year #153 through TDY #196 since 1991.

Is there any guarantee that UNG will (finally) bounce in the months ahead? Absolutely not. However, some might view a defined risk of 6 to 7% on an oversold market that typically performs well during this time of year as a speculative opportunity.
