Here is a list and some background on some of the most popular Natural Gas ETF that are available for you to trade.

• The United States Natural Gas Fund, LP (UNG)

The United States Natural Gas Fund is an exchange traded fund that seeks to track (percentage wise) the price movements of natural gas prices. UNG units are bought and sold on the New York Stock Exchange.

The investment objective of UNG is for changes in the percentage terms of the units net asset value (nav) based on the natural gas prices as trade on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The price is based on the near month contract that’s set to expire, except when the near month contract is within 2 weeks of the expiration of the contract. At that point the natural gas futures contract will be “rolled” over into the next contract month.

• First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas Index Fund (FCG)

The investment objective for First Trust ISE-Revere Natural Gas Index Fund (FCG) is to seek returns that correspond to the price and yield (before expenses) of the equity called the ISE- Revere Natural Gas Index ™.

The ISE- Revere Natural Gas Index ™. Is an equal-weighted index made up of exchange-listed companies that derive a substantial portion of the income form the exploration and production of natural gas. The index is constructed based on the total population of stocks listed in the United States of companies involved in the production and exploration of natural gas. Stocks of companies whose natural gas reserves do not meet certain requirements are not included in the index. Stocks are then ranked using four different methods. These methods include Price/Earning ratio, Price/Book ratio, Return on Equity and to correlation to natural gas futures prices. The rankings are then averaged and the top 30 stocks based on final rank are then selected for the index. The index is then rebalanced on a quarterly basis.

• SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (XOP)

The SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF seeks to reproduce as closely as possible the performance of the S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production Select Industry Index. This index represents the oil and gas exploration and production sub-industry portion of the S&P Total Market Index. The S&P Total Market Index tracks all the United States common stocks listed on the NYSE, AMEX, NASDAQ National Market and the NASDAQ Small Cap exchanges. The Index is an equal-weighted market cap index. The Fund attempts to approximate the investment performance of the index, by investing in a portfolio of stocks intended to replicate the index.

These are 3 of the most popular Natural Gas ETF to trade. Here are a few more you should research:

IShares Dow Jones US Oil & Gas Exploration ETF (IEO)

SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Equipment & Services ETF (XES)

PowerShares Dynamic Oil & Gas Services Portfolio (PXJ)

ProShares UltraShort Oil & Gas (DUG

ProShares Ultra Oil & Gas (DIG)

Your research has now started. Go find the right investment for you.

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• United States Natural Gas Fund (UNG) review

The United States Natural Gas Fund is a very simple fund to understand. According to their prospectus, the objective of the UNG fund is mirror the daily percentage move of the natural gas futures traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The futures price is for natural gas delivered at the Henry Hub in Louisiana. The price is based on the near month’s future, but when the near month is within 2 weeks of expiration, then the contracts are “rolled” into the next futures contract month. This sets the price, minus the funds expenses.

Natural gas futures on NYMEX are a very active market and are the benchmark for natural gas prices here in the United States. The fund doesn’t use leverage. It attempts to match the daily return of the futures price. The advantage of trading UNG is that it gives you commodity exposure without having to open up a commodity account.

Keep in mind that this is a long only fund. This fund will only purchase natural gas futures. So if you are bullish of natural gas, this may be the fund for you to trade.

This fund is fully marginable through your brokerage firm. You can trade this like a stock. This means you are able to enter market, limit, stop and stop limit orders. You are also able to place GTC (good ‘til canceled) orders as well. The UNG is also optionable. This enables you to buy/sell and write options on UNG. It is also possible to “short” UNG. This is something you would need to set up with your stock brokerage account.

At one point this year, UNG had become so large that the SEC had to step in and prevent UNG from issuing more shares. The fund was becoming too large for the natural gas markets to handle. The SEC has since allowed UNG to issue more shares. To prevent problems like that in the futures, UNG will also be trading natural gas on the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) and participating in natural gas swaps.

Something else you should keep in mind. Each month UNG must roll the futures contract into the next months contract. Depending on the price relationship, this can cause the markets to be in contango or backwardation. Contango is when the front contract is priced lower than the next month. If the front month contract is $5 and the next month is priced at $6, this will have an effect on the NAV of the fund. This is because you now have to pay more to roll the contracts and to stay long.

Backwardation would be the opposite. If the front month is $6 and the next month is $5, then you would be selling higher and buying lower and that would help your total return.

The natural gas market is currently in contango, so you should keep that in mind when you trade UNG.

As stated at the beginning of this article, this is the most popular natural gas commodity ETF, but there are some things to consider before investing in it. Read more then make a decision if this is the right Natural Gas ETF to invest in.

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