In this article, we are going to discuss the 12 best LNG stocks to buy in 2026.
American LNG is becoming the backbone of global gas supply amid the Middle East conflict, and could continue to gain ground for years even after a resolution. The Iranian missile attacks on the Qatari LNG infrastructure have significantly disrupted the country’s LNG supplies to buyers, especially in Asia, and repairs could take years.
This presented a significant opportunity for the United States to emerge as the global market’s anchor supplier, and that is exactly what it is doing. US LNG exports hit a record high in March as plants ran above nameplate capacity and new units started up, with shipments to Asia more than doubling from the previous month. The trend continued in April when nearly a quarter of all American LNG shipments went to Asia, marking a sharp increase since the conflict began in late February.
At the same time, Europe also remains a major destination for US LNG, as the bloc moves away from Russian gas supplies amid the invasion of Ukraine. Notably, China has also opened up its doors once again and is set to receive its first shipments of US LNG in more than a year next month, marking a potential thawing of energy ties following President Trump’s recent trip to Beijing.
Given the high demand and access to new markets, the United States, which is already the largest exporter of LNG in the world, is set to double its export capacity by the end of this decade.
With that said, here are the Best LNG Stocks to Buy Now.
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Our Methodology
To collect data for this article, we referred to several stock screeners to find companies operating in the liquefied natural gas sector. We then ranked these stocks by the number of hedge funds invested in them at the end of Q4 2025, as per the Insider Monkey database. We limited our final selection to companies that have recently reported noteworthy developments likely to impact investor sentiment. The following are the Best LNG Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 498.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 303 percentage points (see more details here).
12. Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE:VG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 22
Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE:VG) develops and constructs LNG export projects to provide clean, affordable energy to the world. The company is currently one of the largest LNG exporters in the United States.
On May 20, Raymond James bumped up its price target on Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE:VG) from $14 to $16, while keeping an ‘Outperform’ rating on the shares. The target boost reflects an upside of over 15% from the current price level.
The analyst firm views Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE:VG) as an attractive LNG growth platform, citing its differentiated, repeatable development model that enables the execution of rapid American LNG projects. However, Raymond James highlighted the mixed near-term sentiment around the stock, driven by the macro volatility in the LNG sector amid the US-Iran war and the uncertainty surrounding the company’s arbitration issues. The analyst also noted that the Middle East conflict has propelled the LNG pricing curve higher than originally assumed in its positive thesis.
Venture Global, Inc. (NYSE:VG) also received a boost earlier on May 12 when it reported strong results for its Q1 2026, placing it among the 10 Energy Stocks That Crushed Earnings Estimates in the First Quarter.
11. NextDecade Corporation (NASDAQ:NEXT)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 26
NextDecade Corporation (NASDAQ:NEXT) engages in the construction and development activities related to the liquefaction of natural gas in the United States.
On May 13, Citi initiated coverage of NextDecade Corporation (NASDAQ:NEXT) with a ‘Buy’ rating and a price target of $11, indicating an upside of 30% from the current levels.
With approximately 48 million tonnes per annum of potential liquefaction capacity currently under construction and in development at its Rio Grande LNG site, NextDecade Corporation (NASDAQ:NEXT) offers exposure to one of the last large-scale LNG export facilities on the US Gulf Coast. With the soaring global energy demand and supply disruptions in the Middle East, Citi expects American LNG to become an “increasingly coveted commodity”.
NextDecade revealed earlier this month that it is working to introduce first gas into the facility in the second half of this year and produce the first LNG from Train 1 in the first half of 2027. As of March 2026, Trains 1 and 2 are 67.8% complete. Train 3 is 44.2% complete, and Trains 4 and 5 are 10.6% and 6.8% complete, respectively.
10. TotalEnergies SE (NYSE:TTE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 26
TotalEnergies SE (NYSE:TTE) is a global integrated energy company that produces and markets energy.
A Bloomberg report on May 22 revealed that TotalEnergies SE (NYSE:TTE) is exploring the sale of a 50% stake in some of its European renewables assets, as it seeks a partner in operating and monetizing its clean energy portfolio. The French energy major is working with advisors to sell its interest in 1.2 GW of solar and wind farms in France, Germany, Poland, and Spain. A potential deal could fetch several hundred million euros for the company.
The move comes after TotalEnergies SE (NYSE:TTE) agreed to divest a 50% stake in 1.4 GW of North American solar assets last year. Moreover, the company also sold 50% stakes in smaller portfolios of renewable assets in some European countries.
While its peers, including Shell and BP, have outright reduced their spending on renewables, TotalEnergies SE (NYSE:TTE) is moving ahead with its diversification strategy in which power will represent about 20% of its energy output by the end of this decade.
9. Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 43
Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) is an integrated energy company with operations spanning exploration, production, refining, marketing, and chemical manufacturing, alongside growing investments in biofuels and hydrogen.
On May 21, Jefferies analyst Mark Wilson raised the firm’s price target on Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) from $119.70 to $122.40, while keeping a ‘Buy’ rating on the shares. The target increase, which represents an upside of 43% from the current share price, comes after the analyst firm incorporated Shell’s recent acquisition of ARC Resources into its model.
Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) announced the acquisition of the Canadian energy company ARC Resources last month. The $16.4 billion deal will boost the energy giant’s output by 370,000 boepd, in addition to contributing $1.5 billion in free cash flow per year.
Jefferies estimates that the acquisition will lift Shell’s net income by about 6% across FY26-28, driven primarily by the higher integrated gas earnings following the consolidation of ARC.
Similarly, earlier on May 18, HSBC also turned more bullish on Shell plc (NYSE:SHEL) and upgraded the stock from ‘Hold’ to ‘Buy’, while also raising its price target (read more details here).
8. Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 50
Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) is a leading US oil and gas producer with a premier multi-basin portfolio touching the Anadarko Basin, Eagle Ford, Marcellus Shale, Powder River Basin, Williston Basin, and anchored by a world-class acreage position in the Delaware Basin.
On May 22, Morgan Stanley bumped up its price target on Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) from $59 to $66, while keeping an ‘Overweight’ rating on the shares. The revised target represents an upside potential of almost 40% from the current share price.
The move comes despite Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) falling behind estimates in its recent Q1 report on May 5. However, its oil production of 387,000 bpd was at the top end of its guidance, and the company managed to achieve this with a capital expenditure of 6% below guidance, providing a boost to its cash flows. Devon also revealed that it remains on track to achieve its target to deliver $1 billion of annual pre-tax free cash flow improvement.
Devon Energy Corporation (NYSE:DVN) continues its focus on expansion and emerged as the biggest buyer in the sale of oil and gas drilling rights on federal lands in New Mexico and Texas held by the Trump administration on May 20. A Reuters report indicated that the company accounted for $2.5 billion out of the record $4 billion sale.
7. BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 51
Next on our list of the Best LNG Stocks is BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP). It is a British multinational company recognized worldwide for quality gasoline, transport fuels, chemicals, and alternative sources of energy such as wind and biofuels.
On May 11, Argus upgraded BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) from ‘Hold’ to ‘Buy’ after the company exceeded estimates in its Q1 report last month. The British oil major‘s customers and products business, which includes oil trading operations, delivered profit before interest and tax of $3.2 billion during the quarter, its highest level since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to Argus, the strong performance is largely attributed to BP’s increased upstream production, materially higher realized refining margins, and strong oil trading contributions. However, the analyst firm noted that these positives were partly offset by weaker price realizations.
The stronger-than-expected Q1 profits come as a tailwind for the new CEO, Meg O’Neill, as she confronts the need to bolster the company’s balance sheet and divest low-returning assets.
Sound Shore Management, an investment management firm, stated the following regarding BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) in its Q1 2026 investor letter:
“On the positive front, and in contrast to the above, energy was far and away the best performing sector for the period. Surging oil and gas prices drove holdings Coterra Energy, EQT and BP p.l.c. (NYSE:BP) higher, each returning close to 20% or more. Our process leads us to sustainable businesses with low-cost reserves and fortress like balance sheets. These are critical attributes in today’s volatile world and, we believe, make these businesses even more valuable. The Iran war and its impact on oil prices will be in focus; however, we continue to find value in these businesses on normalized long-term cash flow.”
6. Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 57
As one of the world’s largest independent owners and operators of offshore-based LNG infrastructure, Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) designs, converts, owns, and operates marine infrastructure that turns natural gas into LNG.
On May 21, Deutsche Bank raised the firm’s price target on Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) from $54 to $65, while maintaining a ‘Buy’ rating on the shares. The target boost, which reflects an upside of over 24% from the current price level, comes following the company’s recent Q1 report.
Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) reported its first-quarter results on May 20. The company grew its revenue by 120% YoY to $137.5 million, while its adjusted EBITDA of $106 million was $15 million higher than the previous quarter.
Moreover, alongside the solid operational performance at both Hilli and Gimi FLNG, Golar revealed that the construction of its MK II Fuji FLNG asset is progressing on schedule and within budget for delivery in the last quarter of next year.
Golar LNG Limited (NASDAQ:GLNG) also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share. The dividend is payable on May 29 to shareholders as of the June 1 record.
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