Bad Hedges on NatGas Could Cost EQT More than $5 Billion

Hedging, in the case of natural gas produced by big drillers like EQT Corporation, is when the company presells the production it will make (in the future) under contract at a specific price. Typically companies like EQT will hedge production for up to a year, sometimes more, in advance. It's a way of protecting revenue from production in case prices sink below a certain level. The problem with hedging is you are locked in when the price goes up and stays up, like the price for natgas has done over the past several months. According to Bloomberg, EQT's hedges could cost the company "more than $5 billion through the end of next year." Ouch. CEO Toby Rice openly admits the company guessed wrong on its hedges.

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