Accessibility Tools

Q: What is the NYMEX?

The New York Mercantile Exchange (also known as the NYMEX), is an organized market where buyers/sellers trade futures commodities. Further more it’s one of the world largest exchanges for energy and metals, with one of the most common commodities traded being the NYMEX Natural Gas futures market. In fact the NYMEX natural gas market is the third largest physical commodity futures contract in the world by pure volume traded. Which is why there is so much importance regarding NYMEX settlement history. NYMEX natural gas Prices fluctuate by the second during daily trading hours, and these futures prices set the basis for what consumers will pay for this commodity.

Q: What Drives the Current NYMEX Natural Gas Prices?

So what impacts the NYMEX natural gas markets current prices? Like all of the other commodities traded on the NYMEX, natural gas is impacted by supply and demand. As you can imagine, there are a few different factors which effect the NYMEX settlement prices. Production and its impact on NYMEX Natural Gas Settlement Prices One of the most consistent driving factors of the NYMEX natural gas market is the production of the commodity itself. When the NYMEX natural gas production is higher than demand in the present or future prices will tend to be bearish. When production is lower than demand in the present or futures we will typically see a bullish market. These updates are provided weekly during the inventory reports, which will have a large impact on the NYMEX natural gas futures prices.

Q: What is the Henry Hub?

If you are researching current NYMEX natural gas prices or NYMEX settlement history you have probably come across the term “Henry Hub” . The Henry Hub is the national gas distribution system located in Louisiana. It serves as the main hub connecting the major natural gas pipelines in the United States. NYMEX traders use the Henry Hub to clear settlement prices every month.

NYMEX Natural Gas Monthly Settlement Prices

At Aggressive Energy, we understand the importance of market fundamentals and staying up to date on trends and information about the energy markets. The NYMEX settlement prices below are based on delivery at the Henry Hub in Louisiana.

NYMEX Natural Gas History

Month	2020	2021
January	$2.158	$2.467
February	$1.877	$2.760
March	$1.821	$2.854
April	$1.634	$2.586
May	$1.794	$2.925
June	$1.722	2.984
July	$1.495	2.617
August	$1.854	4.044
September	$2.579
October	$2.101
November	$2.996
December	$2.896

Contents hide

1 NYMEX Natural Gas Monthly Settlement Prices

1.1 NYMEX Natural Gas History

2 Understanding The NYMEX Natural Gas Futures Market

3 What is the NYMEX?

4 How Does the NYMEX Natural Gas Market Trade?

5 What Drives the Current NYMEX Natural Gas Prices?

5.1 Production and its impact on NYMEX Natural Gas Settlement Prices

5.2 Weather and its impact on NYMEX Natural Gas Settlement Prices

6 What is the Henry Hub?

7 What is the NYMEX Natural Gas Expiration Date?

7.1 When is the NYMEX Natural Gas Expiration Date?

8 Current NYMEX Natural Gas Expiration Dates

9 NYMEX Settlement Price FAQ

9.1 How many natural gas future contracts are traded daily?

Understanding The NYMEX Natural Gas Futures Market

What is the NYMEX?

The New York Mercantile Exchange (also known as the NYMEX), is an organized market where buyers/sellers trade futures commodities. Further more it’s one of the world largest exchanges for energy and metals, with one of the most common commodities traded being the NYMEX Natural Gas futures market. In fact the NYMEX natural gas market is the third largest physical commodity futures contract in the world by pure volume traded. Which is why there is so much importance regarding NYMEX settlement history.

NYMEX natural gas Prices fluctuate by the second during daily trading hours, and these futures prices set the basis for what consumers will pay for this commodity.

How Does the NYMEX Natural Gas Market Trade?

When it comes to natural gas trading and looking forward to NYMEX natural gas settlement prices the NYMEX trades on what is known as futures contracts. These contracts are legally binding agreements to ensure that both the buyer and the seller agree upon the specified price for that specific month in the future.

Futures contracts was originally created as way for farmers to lock in their selling prices for commodities they were yet to produce. It was a way to hedge their bet against volatile prices. Obviously since then the commodities markets have expanded to include more than just agriculture products such as the NYMEX Natural Gas settlement prices above.

What Drives the Current NYMEX Natural Gas Prices?

So what impacts the NYMEX natural gas markets current prices? Like all of the other commodities traded on the NYMEX, natural gas is impacted by supply and demand. As you can imagine, there are a few different factors which effect the NYMEX settlement prices.

Production and its impact on NYMEX Natural Gas Settlement Prices

One of the most consistent driving factors of the NYMEX natural gas market is the production of the commodity itself. When the NYMEX natural gas production is higher than demand in the present or future prices will tend to be bearish. When production is lower than demand in the present or futures we will typically see a bullish market. These updates are provided weekly during the inventory reports, which will have a large impact on the NYMEX natural gas futures prices.

Weather and its impact on NYMEX Natural Gas Settlement Prices

Another driving factor of the NYMEX gas prices, is the weather. As you can imagine people will tend to buy more gas when we are in longer stretches of cold weather such as the winter. However, if we have a mild winter and expectations don’t meet the actual demand we can see lower NYMEX natural gas prices.

It’s important to note that other weather related factors such as hurricanes can have an impact on not only the demand side but the production of the natural gas itself which will also impact the supply.

What is the Henry Hub?

If you are researching current NYMEX natural gas prices or NYMEX settlement history you have probably come across the term “Henry Hub” . The Henry Hub is the national gas distribution system located in Louisiana. It serves as the main hub connecting the major natural gas pipelines in the United States. NYMEX traders use the Henry Hub to clear settlement prices every month.

What is the NYMEX Natural Gas Expiration Date?

All futures contracts can be active and traded for a very specific amount of time. Once a contract expires, it cannot be traded anymore. The last trading day for which a futures contract can be traded before it expires is known as its expiration date. The NYMEX settlement prices listed above are only considered final at the close of the expiration date.

When is the NYMEX Natural Gas Expiration Date?

All futures expiration dates are set by the exchange that provides the market, in the case of NYMEX natural gas it’s the CME group. Below are the current NYMEX settlement calendar.

Current NYMEX Natural Gas Expiration Dates

Contract Month	NYMEX Natural Gas Settlement Date
February 2021	January 27th 2021
March 2021	February 24th 2021
April 2021	March 29th 2021
May 2021	April 28th 2021
June 2021	May 26th 2021
July 2021	June 28th 2021
August 2021	July 28th 2021
September 2021	August 27th 2021
October 2021	September 28th 2021
November 2021	October 27th 2021
December 2021	November 26th 2021
January 2022	December 29th 2021

NYMEX Settlement Price FAQ

How many natural gas future contracts are traded daily?
The natural gas market is one of the most liquid futures markets in the world with over 400,000 contracts traded on a daily basis. The NYMEX natural gas market also can have over 1,400,000 million open positions at any given time.

Be sure to speak with one of our energy experts at 888-836-9222 if you have any questions regarding your natural gas bill!