I am not, nor do I believe I ever will be, a natural gas trader. It’s an extremely volatile commodity that depends heavily on the weather. However, from a long-term perspective, I do believe a trend is emerging. The world is demanding more and more energy every year. Furthermore, the world is beginning to demand clean energy (see my previous Oil & Natural Gas article). Renewable resources like wind, hydro electric, and solar power are all great, but they simply aren’t robust enough (or cheap enough) to meet global energy demands. Energy sources like uranium and natural gas are much cleaner than crude oil and coal. But if you’re like me and don’t have the stomach to trade natural gas, then I’d suggest you look at some of the gas weighted equities listed on the TSX – and there are a bunch.

Lately natural gas prices have plunged (see chart below) as nat gas inventories have swelled and cooler weather across much of North America has reduced electricity demand.

Putting aside Tropical Storm Gustav and Tropical Storm Hanna for the moment, I believe a longer term trend is being established and I think the latest drop in prices was simply a much needed correction.

There’s also the fact that Crude oil has significantly outperformed natural gas. Relative to crude oil, nat gas is cheaper than it has been in 10 years.

So, if you believe in the long term story for natural gas, then some of the gas weighted trusts may be a good long term investment. Unlike the commodity itself, companies have assets that don’t just evaporate in value. I personally like Advantage Energy Income Fund (TSE: AVN.UN), however, if you’re looking for others, below is a table listing all of the energy producers in the TSX Energy sub-index and their respective exposure to natural gas (nat gas production as a % of total production).

Ownership Disclosure: I currently own units of Advantage Energy Income Fund (TSE: AVN.UN).

Disclaimer: Any information contained in the above article represents my opinions only, and should not be construed as personalized investment advice. I cannot assess, verify or guarantee the suitability of any particular investment to any particular situation and the reader of the article bears complete responsibility for its own investment research and should seek the advice of a qualified investment professional that provides individualized advice prior to making any investment decisions. All opinions expressed and information and data provided therein are subject to change without notice.