Why New Fortress Energy Stock Just Fell 20.3%

By Johnny Rice – Mar 18, 2026 at 6:01PM ESTKey PointsAfter a wild swing on Tuesday, NFE stock tanked 20.3% today. The company successfully negotiated with its creditors, ensuring its survival.As part of the deal, existing shareholders will face serious dilution.

New Fortress Energy (NFE 20.33%) fell 20.3% on Wednesday. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 1.4% and 1.5%, respectively. The struggling liquefied natural gas (LNG) company struck an agreement with creditors yesterday that will allow the company to survive, but one that comes with serious strings attached. The news sent the stock flying up more than 30% before giving away most of the gain. Today, the stock was in freefall. ExpandNASDAQ: NFENew Fortress EnergyToday's Change(-20.33%) $-0.23Current Price$0.92Key Data PointsMarket Cap$327MDay's Range$0.86 - $1.2152wk Range$0.86 - $12.59Volume101MAvg Vol11MGross Margin19.59% NFE survives -- barely Under the agreement, New Fortress will split into two separate companies. "NewNFE" will continue trading publicly and retain operations in Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Meanwhile, a new private entity dubbed "BrazilCo" will take ownership of the company's entire Brazilian business -- and go straight into the hands of its creditors. That's no small concession. Brazil was a major piece of New Fortress's earnings puzzle, so investors are now grappling with what NewNFE looks like without it. It seems the initial excitement over a deal faded as reality set in. Shareholders will see major dilution Image source: Getty Images. Shareholders didn't get wiped out entirely, but under the new structure, existing common stockholders will be diluted down to just 35% of NewNFE. Creditors claim the remaining 65% stake, plus $2.5 billion in preferred shares on top of that. That means more dilution is likely. And NewNFE still faces the task of actually executing a turnaround. A leaner balance sheet buys time, but it doesn't guarantee a recovery. This is not a stock I would own.Read NextMar 17, 2026 •By Johnny RiceWhy NFE Stock Just Popped 33.9% -- Then SlumpedMar 13, 2026 •By Johnny Rice2 Things Every New Fortress Energy Investor Needs to knowDec 28, 2025 •By Marc GubertiCan NFE Stock Beat the Market?Dec 5, 2025 •By Johnny RiceWhy New Fortress Energy Soared 12.1% TodayDec 3, 2025 •By Johnny RiceNew Fortress Energy Stock Soared 11.3% Today -- Here's WhyDec 1, 2025 •By Johnny RiceWhy Did New Fortress Energy Stock Soar 7.4% Today?About the AuthorJohnny Rice is a contributing writer for The Motley Fool covering tech stocks. He previously contributed to various financial publications.TMFJohnnyRiceStocks MentionedNew Fortress EnergyNASDAQ: NFE$0.92(-20.33%)-$0.23*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.