Venture Global Stock Jumps 13.7% on Qatar Outage

The U.S. LNG exporter reported a 191% jump in adjusted core profit to $2.0 billion in the fourth quarter, driven by increased LNG sales volumes. However, its 2026 adjusted core earnings forecast of $5.20 billion to $5.80 billion missed the LSEG analyst average of $6.03 billion, partly due to a $500 million hit from Winter Storm Fern in Q1, as reported by Reuters.

CEO Mike Sabel stated the company is "ready to help stabilize the global markets" given its larger stash of uncommitted LNG cargoes, which makes it highly sensitive to spot price swings. Europe's benchmark gas prices surged over 30% Monday following the Qatari disruption, which also saw QatarEnergy drafting force majeure notices.

Venture Global secured a mid-term deal to deliver 0.5 million tonnes per year of LNG to Trafigura for five years starting in 2026. The company also won a legal dispute against Shell regarding LNG cargo shipments from its Calcasieu Pass facility, with a New York state judge denying Shell's attempt to reverse an arbitration ruling.

The market remains sensitive to the duration of Qatar's outage and potential drops in LNG prices if shipping risks subside. Investors await Venture Global's CP2 Phase 2 investment call in the first half of 2026 and the commercial operations of Plaquemines Phase I in Q4.