receipt

Time to Bail on Shale?

Natural gas injection into storage season was slated to end on October 31st. Instead, on November 13 the government reported natural gas in storage rose +25 Billion cubic feet. Probable factors were the temperatures in the American midwest being +10 to +15 degrees above normal and an economy that is weaker than the government reports indicate. This "unscheduled" injection of gas into storage raised the total to 3.81 Trillion cubic feet, compared to a MAXIMUM national storage capacity of 3.89 Trillion cubic feet. So, gas in storage then was 10.1% above the same period last year and 12% above the five year average, as well as at 97.9% of total storage capacity. Then on November 20th another 25 billion cubic feet was reported added into storage. What will happen to natural gas prices, and the stock prices of these companies, if the relatively warmer fall continues and there is no place to store the excess production?

Natural Gas: Ride U-Turn Up

Natural gas production STILL exceeds demand! The "injection season" was supposed to end on October 31. Instead, on November 13 natural gas in storage rose +25 Billion cubic feet to a record 3.78 Trillion cubic feet. MAXIMUM storage capacity in the USA is 3.89 Trillion cubic feet so at that time natural gas in storage in our nation was at 97.2% of total capacity. At that time 110 billion cubic feet of storage capacity remained unfilled ("empty").

On November 20th somebody forgot to tell the producers that "injection season" ended 3 weeks ago, because another 25 Billion cubic feet was stored, bringing total gas in storage to 3.813 Trillion Cubic Feet, or 10.0% greater than a year ago, and 12% greater than the average of the previous 5 years! These latest government reports show natural gas in storage at 97.9% of total capacity with only 77 Billion cubic feet of storage left.

Temperatures in the American midwest are 10-15 degrees above "normal". Would it really surprise anyone if, with a relatively warm fall obviously occuring, that the 3 weeks of storage capacity remaining would be fully utilized? What would happen to natural gas prices if Friday, November 27th, the government reports an additional natural gas injection into storage?

What If We Invested $680 Billion in Infrastructure?

Great article! Why is it that neither political party speaks to this debilitating malinvestment of national resources? Methinks they are just both wings of the "vested interests" party which relies upon those existing interests for campaign funds while the middle class continues to trudge off to work without complaint or ideas of how to redirect our collective course.

If the money became available from the "defense" budget, I'd suggest it be used to radically transform our pattern of energy usage in the country. Begin with a creation/buildout of natural gas refueling stations along the entire interstate highway network. Require the U.S. Postal Service with its 200,000 vehicles to use natural gas instead of foreign oil and watch as the newly created American jobs reduce unemployment, help reflate the housing market, and increase real incomes--helping to stop the coming commerical real estate crash in its tracks!

An ancillary benefit would be we would no longer see such excruciating international pressure on the dollar and as it was revalued upward, so would our place as the reserve currency be reinforced.

And finally, some of the money from the defense budget would be better utilized mounting an Apollo Moon Landing sytle project to harness the power of nuclear fusion. It's green, virtually inexhaustable, and makes the natural gas bridge a bridge to somewhere instead of nowhere.

Property Values Set to Fall 43% from Current Depressed Levels

Living in the Midwest, it has been my experience that not only rising real estate taxes but also exploding costs of maintenance services are dramatically increasing the total cost of home ownership, leading to a collapse of demand for residential real estate. It's a very sad commentary on the government's alleged CPI statistics when fees on my condominium increase 20% in one year, home insurance skyrockets 11%, and I'm told there has been no increase in the cost of living nationwide. However, the real impact on residential real estate has been a realization by what's left of the middle class that they simply cannot afford to own a home nearly as large as the one they could afford in the 1980's or 1990's.

On Nov 02 11:00 PM Peter Mycroft Psaras wrote:

> Because local and state governments are losing so much money in tax
> receipts, you can not make money in Real Estate anymore, because
> municipalities are going to increase property taxes significantly
> over the next decade and force older residents to sell their homes
> and move to lower property tax cities. I remember this happened in
> 1987 to my father, who bought his house in Westchester County, New
> York in 1972 for $60,000. The property taxes then were $1000 a year
> and in 1987 he was forced to sell the house because his taxes shot
> up to $15,000 and being retired he felt that they were out of control.
> In 2007 I went and visited the current owner of the house and the
> taxes then had shot up to $35,000. When my father bought his house
> he paid 1.6% property taxes on it each year and when he sold it he
> was paying 3.75%. The current owner paid $800,000 for the house and
> pays 4.375% in house related taxes. But his problem currently is
> that the house is no longer worth $800,000, but is now worth about
> $550,000, so his real tax rate is now 6.36%. The municipality where
> the house is located is strapped for cash and can not afford to lower
> taxes, so how is this guy who bought this house for $800,000 ever
> going to get his money back. Who in their right mind would buy a
> house with a real property tax rate of 6.36% on it? There is your
> real problem with Real Estate and the reason why nobody is buying
> houses even with 4.99% 30 year fixed mortgage rates.

Natural Gas Momentum Likely to Continue - Blackmont

Why did HZBBF rise 500% today?

Why the Sudden Run Up in Natural Gas Prices?

I'm an amateur on such issues, but made over a 15% positive return on my investments in 2008, and have another positive return this year, in part by asking myself what actions the government or other people in the private sector powerful enough to influence government action would/could be taking given existing circumstances.

In the case of natural gas, perhaps long investors (such as myself with shares of HZBBF-Horizons BetaPro Double Long) believe the Obama Administration has begun implementation of an UNSPOKEN industrial policy to REVERSE the hollowing out of U.S. manufacturing jobs. Afterall, the core of their election victory strategy was to promise a rebirth of the American middle class, and you can underestimate the President if you want to, but I'm sure he realizes a key to his reelection must be such a strengthening which is impossible in a nation of hamburger flippers. Hence, he has told China (and other nations) that the trade rules will be enforced and strengthened.

I predict you'll see a renaissance of american manufacturing during the next 3.5 years and a powerful run up in both the use and price of natural gas. That's one amateur's way of connecting the dots, and there is only room for silly conspiracy theorists among those who have never held a position to influence outcomes.

Despite Dedicated ETFs, No Reliable Way to Play Natural Gas

HZBBF (Horizons BetaPro NYMEX Natural Gas Bull Plus ETF is a wonderful way to go long at 2x.

If UNG Re-Opens, Should Investors Bite?

Why ooh why would anyone buy UNG when HZBBF is such a superior alternative for the natural gas bull?

Waiting for UNG's New Issuance to Prove Itself

HZBBF is the symbol for Horizons BetaPro NYMEX Natural Gas Bull ETF is a Toronto, Canada based institution which seeks two times (200%) the daily performance of the New York Mercantile Exchange natural gas futures contract for the next delivery month. It's a very effective way to play your disposition to go long natural gas in a time period where the economic imperatives to substitute natural gas for oil in many applications is becoming increasingly impossible to deny, despite conversion costs.

Natural Gas ETF Suspends New Shares: Are There Alternatives?

With all the difficulties UNG involves, it's a mystery who anyone would buy it, except perhaps they are unaware of (HZBBF) Horizons BetaPro which is a double long play on natural gas' next months futures.

United States Natural Gas Fund: A Contrarian Perspective

For true believers a very effective vehicle to go long natural gas is Horizons BetaPro NYMEX Natural Gas Bull Plus ETF (HZBBF) wherein, before expenses, the fund attempts to correspond to two times (200%) the daily performance of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) natural gas futures contract for the next delivery month. This fund, based in Toronto, Canada, is managed by BetaPro Management Inc.

How to Trade Natural Gas, Crude Oil and Gold ETF Funds

A better way to play natural gas is HZBBF. That is Horizons BetaPro NYMEX Natural Gas Bull Plus ETF.

Cramer's Mad Money - United States Gas Fund Should Not Exist (9/10/09)

Here's how to play the explosive move of natural gas to the upside. Buy Horizons BetaPro NYMEX Natural Gas Bull Plus ETF (HZBBF)! After expenses it seeks to correspond to two times (200%) the daily performance of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) natural gas futures contract for the next delivery month. In the last two days, if you had followed my advice on this Toronto, Canada based ETF, you would have gained significantly. More to come.....all aboard!

Natural Gas: A Major Opportunity, But Watch Closely

A vehicle to ride the escalator UP is Horizons BetaPro NYMEX Natural Gas Bull Plus ETF (HZBBF)! This fund seeks to correspond to two times (200%) the daily performance of the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) natural gas futures contract for the next delivery month, after expenses.

Now's the Time (Relatively) for Natural Gas

The train has already begun to leave the station. Hop on board with Horizons BetaPro NYMEX Natural Gas Bull Plus ETF (HZBBF)!