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New calls to revive a cancelled pipeline project pit Republican President Donald Trump against Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul , with Coterra Energy caught in the middle. Conversations about the natural gas Constitution Pipeline resurfaced last week after Trump lifted a stop-work order on the Empire Wind 1 project as part of what appeared to be a compromise with New York. The pipeline met opposition during Trump’s first term and was shelved roughly five years ago. One of the original sponsors of the pipeline was Cabot Oil & Gas, which merged with Cimarex Energy in 2021 to form Coterra, a holding in the Club’s 30-stock portfolio. “I am encouraged by Governor Hochul’s comments about her willingness to move forward on critical pipeline capacity,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum posted on X on May 19. Then, a day later, the Empire Wind project was given the green light to go forward. Burgum’s office did not reply when CNBC reached out for further details regarding his statement. The White House did not respond immediately to our inquiries either. A spokesperson for Hochul told CNBC, however, that “no deal on any natural gas pipeline was reached,” in exchange for the wind project, which, coincidentally, a unit of another Club name, GE Vernova , has a hand in. The governor’s office said the timing of Burgum’s post alluded to a quid pro quo that did not happen. In a statement last week , Hochul said, “New York will work with the Administration and private entities on new energy projects that meet the legal requirements under New York law.” The pipeline is not the only dispute between Trump and Hochul. They are also locked in a toll battle over congestion pricing for motorists to enter the busiest parts of New York City. As the politics play out on the pipeline, Coterra CEO Tom Jorden reminded investors what’s at stake during the company’s post-earnings conference call earlier this month. “The Constitution Pipeline, as originally configured, originates in our [Marcellus] field in Northeast Pennsylvania and goes into the New England market [through New York],” Jorden said. “We’re watching and participating in that [pipeline] conversation seriously.” If the pipeline were to be built, “the expectation is that we would make a commitment to deliver long-term volumes into that line,” the CEO continued. “We’re looking at that as a potential future opportunity for growth in the Marcellus.” Most of Coterra’s Marcellus Shale properties, which represent 75% of the firm’s total natural gas output, are in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. Alongside a messy first quarter earlier this month, overshadowed by operational issues, Coterra said it’s shifting more of its near-term focus away from oil, which has been struggling, and toward natural gas . The company, which we covet for its ability to switch between oil and gas spending, cited positive macro conditions and Northeast storage volumes as reasons to predict a robust 2025 and 2026 for gas. Coterra said it began drilling two Marcellus rigs in April, lifting its capital spending in the region by an additional $50 million. The Constitution Pipeline, which would certainly support Coterra’s bet on natural gas and the Marcellus, has taken many twists and turns over the years. Cabot, the original champion of the project, sold a majority ownership stake to Williams Energy in 2010, four years before it was approved. The pipeline was canceled in 2020 after a slew of regulatory and legal hurdles, including a denied water permit by New York State. Cabot’s minority stake, however, kept what’s now Coterra in the game. CTRA YTD mountain Coterra YTD The financial benefits of easier and more cost-effective transportation of natural gas could also translate into a boost for Coterra shares, which closed just under $25 on Tuesday and moved lower Wednesday. The stock has declined more than 3% year to date compared to the S & P 500 ‘s slight 2025 gain. “We’re going to be in a bull market for gas, at least for the next year or so,” said Roth analyst Leo Mariani, echoing Jorden’s prediction. Mariani and his Roth colleagues have a $34 per share price target on Coterra. That’s higher than our Club price target of $30. At current share price levels, Coterra’s multiple of 8.5 times next 12 months’ earnings per share (EPS) estimates makes it cheaper compared to industry peers such as EOG Resources , which trades at 11.5 times forward earnings, and Diamondback Energy , which trades at 10.15 times. That could change if investors became more willing to pay up for Coterra earnings. Bottom line The Club agrees that Coterra’s shift to natural gas is a smart play, given current macro conditions and commodity prices. If the Constitution Pipeline were to become a reality, that would be a big deal. As our sole oil and energy stock, we’re fans of the company’s flexibility to shift its strategy to adapt to commodity prices. Jorden’s interview earlier this month with Jim Cramer on “Mad Money” helped ease our concerns about the company, including some operational issues that muddied the latest quarter. While these issues are resolved, Jim still isn’t ready to add to our Coterra position given the oil industry’s headwinds. That’s reflected in our hold-equivalent 2 rating on the stock. (Jim Cramer’s Charitable Trust is long CTRA See here for a full list of the stocks.) As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade. THE ABOVE INVESTING CLUB INFORMATION IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY , TOGETHER WITH OUR DISCLAIMER . NO FIDUCIARY OBLIGATION OR DUTY EXISTS, OR IS CREATED, BY VIRTUE OF YOUR RECEIPT OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTING CLUB. NO SPECIFIC OUTCOME OR PROFIT IS GUARANTEED.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul (C) holds a picture of US President Donald Trump during a press conference at Grand Central Terminal on Feb. 19, 2025 in New York City.
Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images
