Natural gas prices jumped sharply this week, extending a volatile start to the year for U.S. energy markets. Colder-than-expected winter weather an

Soaring gas prices are bad news for U.S. consumers grappling with rising energy bills, which have become a liability for politicians, including President Trump. But they stand to benefit U.S. gas producers, especially those that have not locked in prices for a large share of their planned output through financial hedges.

This deep freeze is hurting production, especially for natural gas,” Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn wrote in his daily market commentary.