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New Fortress Energy: A Broken Giant at $1.50 — or the Next 30x Distressed Revival

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FJ Research
Oct 28, 2025
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This is not a compounder. It is not a safe income stock. It is a distressed situation. But when distress meets endurance, asymmetry can emerge. This report is for investors who understand that risk is not to be avoided but to be priced correctly.

If you want to learn how professionals think about asymmetry in crisis situations, how to size positions in distressed turnarounds, and how to track milestones that could turn one of the market’s most hated names into one of its biggest recoveries, continue below.

New Fortress Energy (NASDAQ: NFE)

Context and Thesis

New Fortress Energy is one of the most hated stocks in the US energy market. Once a 10-billion-dollar growth story, it is now trading near 1.50 dollars per share, valued at roughly 300-400 million dollars.

The reason is simple: debt, distrust, and failed communication. The market stopped believing. Yet within this wreck sits a company with critical LNG infrastructure, geopolitical relevance, and a founder who refuses to surrender.

This is the essence of distressed investing. It is not about buying good companies. It is about identifying bad situations with the possibility of survival.

Balance Sheet and Financial Position

As of Q2 2025, New Fortress Energy reported:

  • Long-term debt: approximately 7.8 billion USD

  • Total obligations: roughly 9 billion USD

  • Cash on hand: around 200–250 million USD

  • Interest expenses: consuming over 70 % of operating income

  • Debt maturities: 1.4 billion USD due in 2026

These numbers define the thesis. This company is alive, but barely. Without a restructuring, the probability of default is high.

The equity is therefore an option on survival.

Founder Alignment

Wes Edens remains the critical variable. He holds roughly 53 million shares — close to 20 % of the company. He purchased an additional 5.8 million shares at 8.63 USD in October 2024 and smaller tranches near 9 USD in early 2025.

For Edens, NFE is not a trade. It is his personal legacy after Fortress Investment Group and Brightline. His net worth of around 2 billion USD includes roughly 80 million USD in NFE equity — about 4 % of his wealth.

That level of exposure is not symbolic. It is commitment.

The Communication Problem

New Fortress has one of the weakest investor-relations profiles among mid-cap US energy firms. Delayed filings, non-compliance notices, vague guidance, and inconsistent messaging have destroyed confidence.

Markets can price risk, but they cannot price confusion. Until NFE communicates with clarity, equity investors will stay away.

A turnaround here begins with transparency, not marketing.

Assets and Strategic Importance

The company owns and operates floating LNG (FLNG) units, onshore terminals, and gas-to-power plants. These assets are geographically diversified across:

  • Mexico (Altamira FLNG)

  • Jamaica and the Caribbean

  • Puerto Rico

  • Central America

Its infrastructure supplies essential gas and power to regions that lack domestic production. In some markets, NFE is the backbone of national electricity supply.

A recent seven-year LNG contract with Puerto Rico, worth about 4 billion USD, is a key example. If executed, it stabilizes revenue and signals the company’s strategic value.

The LNG Macro Tailwind

Despite the company’s struggles, the global LNG cycle remains constructive.

  • Geopolitical tensions keep supply tight.

  • Asia continues to increase gas demand.

  • Western nations seek diversification away from Russian and Middle Eastern pipelines.

LNG is becoming the bridge fuel of this decade. Floating LNG capacity is scarce, and the world needs more liquefaction and regasification nodes.

NFE sits on precisely those assets — if it can stay solvent long enough to use them.

What Needs to Happen

Five clear milestones determine whether NFE lives or dies:

Milestone

Target Date

Why It Matters

Debt restructuring agreement

Q1 2026

Survival hinge point. Needs maturity extensions or new lenders.

Altamira FLNG full operation

2025–2026

Proof of asset viability and revenue visibility.

Additional long-term LNG contracts

2026

Revenue stability and credit improvement.

Nasdaq compliance restored

End 2025

Restores credibility and institutional access.

Transparent guidance and regular IR updates

2026 Q1

Essential for market re-rating.

You are about to see the full numbers, probabilities, upside targets, and my exact model for how this could 30x.

This is where conviction meets clarity.

Unlock the premium section below to access the full valuation model and scenario breakdown.

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