Natural Gas Stock Flares Up To A High, Pork Name Looks Appetizing

Despite the recent harsh stock market sell-off, several names, including a natural gas company, are making new highs. These stocks have climbed between 9% and 25% so far this year compared with a loss of around 7% for the S&P 500 index.

Smithfield Foods (SFD), Alliant Energy (LNT) and Alliance Resource Partners (ARLP) all sit in buy zones. But investors should note that buying any stock in the current market environment carries additional risk.

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Natural Gas Stock Gets Fired Up

Alliant Energy is clawing back near its record high of 73.41 reached in mid-March. Shares returned to the buy range up to 73.24 of a consolidation pattern with a 69.75 entry point after a short-lived sell-off from highs. The natural gas stock reclaimed its 10-week moving average as it recovered.

Analysts see its full-year 2026 and 2027 profit rising 6% and 8%, respectively. Meanwhile, its sales are expected to inch up a modest 1% and 4% in those two years.

Alliant generates and distributes electricity and natural gas to retail customers in the Midwest.

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Smithfield Foods Hits New High

Smithfield Foods stock reached an all-time high on Friday and has climbed for six straight days.

The food stock hit the 25.50 buy point of a cup-with-handle base shortly after the company reported robust fourth-quarter profit and sales growth on Tuesday. Shares are in the buy zone up to 26.78, according to IBD MarketSurge chart analysis.

The meat processor’s fourth-quarter earnings jumped 69% to 83 cents per share, as revenue grew 7% to $4.227 billion. It also gave a full-year 2026 sales growth outlook in the low single digits.

Smithfield specializes in pork products, including ham, lunch meats and sausages. It plans to invest up to around $1.3 billion over the next three years to build a new processing and packaging plant in South Dakota.

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Lastly, Alliance Resource Partners hit a 52-week high on Friday. The coal stock is in a buy area reaching to 29.81 of a long consolidation with a 28.39 entry point. Its relative strength line has climbed sharply from January lows.

Coal stocks got a boost in early February after President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring the military to buy electricity from coal-fired power plants.

After two declining years, Wall Street sees Alliance’s profit growing 5% in 2026, followed by a 10% increase in 2027.

Follow Kimberley Koenig for more stock market news on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @IBD_KKoenig.

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