Natural gas ETFs offer investors the ability to access the price and performance of natural gas without owning the underlying asset. The ETFs are backed by a basket of natural gas futures contracts, which are typically settled monthly. As investments, they offer exposure to trend-following, speculation, and leverage trading opportunities. They can also be used as a hedging tool to diversify risk in a portfolio.

ETFs can be traded on major exchanges, including the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX). Each ETF looks to track the movement of natural gas prices over time, providing investors with a liquid, low-cost way to gain exposure to the commodity.

Natural gas ETFs have become increasingly popular, with the first ETF, the United States Natural Gas Fund, launching in April 2007. Since then, several additional ETFs have launched to take advantage of the natural gas boom. For example, Guggenheim Investments launched the Guggenheim Natural Gas ETF in May 2016.

In comparison to natural gas futures contracts, natural gas ETFs are easier to access and offer more affordable fees. They are typically more cost-effective than trading natural gas futures. ETFs also provide investors with greater flexibility, as they can be traded in smaller increments.

Investing in natural gas ETFs can be used as an alternative to traditional natural gas investments such as futures, offering exposure to an asset class that has benefited from strong demand. They can also offer additional diversification, as natural gas price movements may move independently from other commodities such as oil and coal. Moreover, ETFs provide investors with exposure to natural gas with limited capital requirements.

Nonetheless, investors need to be aware of the risks involved when investing in natural gas ETFs. In particular, ETFs are exposed to the same risks as natural gas futures, such as extreme price volatility, liquidity concerns, and changes in supply and demand of natural gas. The performance of ETFs linked to natural gas also depends on the weighting of individual contracts within the ETF portfolio. As such, investors should consider the risks associated with ETFs carefully before investing.