A Stunning Move by the World’s Largest Oil Company

By Justin Spittler

Oil still can’t find a bottom. As Dispatch readers know, the oil market is in crisis. Since June 2014, oil has plunged 69%. It dropped 31% in 2015 alone. So far, 2016 has been even worse. The price of oil has fallen every day this year. On Friday, it closed at $32.88 a barrel, its lowest price since February 2004. Oil is already down 11% this year.

In October, Doug Casey predicted lower oil prices at the Casey Research Summit in Tucson, Arizona. I don't know how long [oil prices] will stay low. But they're going lower for the time being. Production is stable to up, but consumption is headed down with a slowing economy.…I'm still short oil at the moment.

The world has too much oil…..
As you likely know, new technologies like “fracking” have unlocked billions of barrels of oil that were impossible to extract before. U.S. oil production has nearly doubled since 2008. In June, U.S. oil production hit its highest level since the 1970s. Global oil output hit an all time high in 2014.

Falling oil prices have slammed the world’s largest oil companies…..
The world’s five largest publicly traded oil companies – Exxon Mobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX), Royal Dutch Shell (RDS-A), BP (BP), and Total S.A. (TOT) – lost $205 billion in value last year, according to The Wall Street Journal. Shell, the worst performer of the five, dropped 24% in 2015. Total, the best performer, dropped 3%.

Oil services companies, which sell “picks and shovels” to the oil industry, have also tanked. The Market Vectors Oil Services ETF (OIH), which holds 26 oil service companies, has plunged 59% over the past 18 months. Schlumberger (SLB) and Halliburton (HAL), the two largest oil services companies, are down 39% and 44% in the same period.

Eventually, this cycle will end with absurdly low prices for oil stocks. We’ll get an amazing opportunity to buy oil stocks at fire sale prices. But, for now, we recommend staying away until the world works through some of its oversupply of oil.

Saudi Arabia is in crisis…..
Saudi Arabia depends more on oil revenues than any other country. Oil makes up 83% of its exports. And about 80% of the country’s government revenue come from oil sales. Last year, the Saudi government spent $98 billion more than it took in…its first budget deficit since 2009.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects the Saudi government to post a budget deficit as high as -19% of GDP in 2016. For comparison, the U.S. government has not posted a deficit higher than -9.8% since World War II. The IMF says Saudi Arabia could burn through its $650 billion cash reserve by 2020 if oil prices stay low. Since oil crashed in the summer of 2014, the country has already withdrawn at least $70 billion from its cash reserve.

To raise cash, the Saudi government may sell its crown jewel…..
Saudi Aramco is Saudi Arabia’s government owned oil company. As the world’s largest oil company, it owns the biggest oil fields in the world, and produces 13% of the world’s oil. The Saudi government has controlled the country’s oil industry since the 1970s. Last week, Financial Times reported that Saudi Arabia is considering an initial public offering (IPO) for Aramco. An IPO is when a company sells shares to the public.

According to Financial Times, an IPO would likely value the company “in the trillions of dollars.” To put that in perspective, Apple (AAPL), the world’s largest publicly traded company, is worth just $538 billion. Some estimates put the value of Saudi Aramco at more than 10 times that of Exxon Mobil – the world’s largest publicly traded oil company.

Switching gears, the U.S. automobile industry is setting record highs..…
U.S. automakers sold an all time record 17.5 million vehicles in 2015. The industry sold 5.7% more vehicles last year than it did 2014. Auto sales have now grown six years in a row. Despite record sales, U.S. automaker stocks are struggling. Ford (F) was down 9.1% in 2015, and has only gained 17% since the beginning of 2012.

General Motors (GM) was down 2.6% in 2015, and has gained 46% since the beginning of 2012. Both stocks have performed worse than the S&P 500, which has gained 53% since the beginning of 2012. Companies that sell parts and services in the auto industry have done much better. Tire maker Goodyear (GT) has climbed 99% over the past four years. Repair and parts shop AutoZone (AZO) is up 119%.

Cheap credit has fueled the boom in the auto industry…..
Forbes reported last month: During the third quarter of 2015, Experian determined the average amount financed for a new vehicle was $28,936, which is up $1,137 from the same period in 2014. What’s more, 44 % of buyers are now taking out loans for between 61 and 72 months, with 27.5% extending their new-vehicle indebtedness to between 73 and 84 months, with the latter representing an increase of 17.1 percent over the past year.

As Casey readers know, the Federal Reserve has made it incredibly cheap to borrow money. In 2008, the Fed cut its key interest rate to effectively zero to fight the financial crisis. It has held its key rate at extremely low levels ever since. Today, its key rate is just 0.25%...far below the historical average of 5%. The average interest rate on a car loan is just 4.3% today. In 2007, the average car loan rate was 7.7%.

E.B. Tucker, editor of The Casey Report, isn’t surprised by the auto industry’s record year..…
Here’s E.B.: Of course the auto industry had a record year…how could it not? I've seen auto rates as low as 0% for 84 months. When money is free, people buy now and think later. The U.S. auto loan market has grown 18 quarters in a row. Last year, it topped $1 trillion for the first time ever. There is now 47% more auto debt outstanding than credit card debt in the U.S.

E.B. says this will end badly. The auto leasing market is also booming because of easy money. Leasing made up 27% of car sales during the first quarter of 2015. Those leases will expire 40 months from now. And someone has to buy those vehicles. This year, over 3 million leased cars will hit the market. Even more will hit the market next year and the year after. All these used cars will create a huge glut. If the free money dries up at the same time, things will get ugly fast. That’s how booms built on easy money come to an end.

Chart of the Day

Oil has plunged to its lowest level in 12 years. Today’s chart shows the price of oil going back to 2004. As you can see, oil has sunk to its lowest level since February 2004. It’s now down 77% from the all time high it set in 2008. As we’ve explained, the world simply has too much oil. Oil is now cheaper than it was during the worst of the global financial crisis in 2008-9.

The article A Stunning Move by the World’s Largest Oil Company was originally published at caseyresearch.com.

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When Will They Bottom? Crude Oil, SP500, then ExxonMobil

A full blown bear market in energy resources and energy stocks has been underway since mid-2014. History shows that the price of crude oil typically bottoms before the broad stock market. And oil related stocks bottom at the same time or later than the broad market. The monthly chart below shows how oil bottoms several months before the stock market does. This provides us with some insight on when we should start to expect a bear market to end in the US stock market.

Many traders follow and trade shares of Exxon Mobil. And while the are big money maker I do feel their share price is going to underperform oil for some time. Based on my research XOM has acquired many new oil operations, which many require $70+ per barrel to be profitable. This has cost XOM a considerable amount of capital and is now left holding and operating business that are losing money with the current price of oil sub $40 per barrel.

Base on my analysis, economic data and forecast I feel as though oil will remain low for another 3-9 months below $60 per barrel. It will do this for several reasons but what matter to us is that it forced the majority of oil producers to cap and close off well and go out of business. While this is taking place stocks and the economy will rebalance through a strong economic recession and a bear market in equities that will last most if not longer than 2016. Take a look at the US stock market average (SP500 index) in the chart below. While this chart is a very basic and simple looking forecast understand that the stock market internals and market breadth have completely collapsed just s we saw in 2000 and again in 2008 months before the index collapsed and started bear markets.

Oil, XOM, and Stock Trading Conclusion:

In short, I expect oil to find a bottom during the next 1-3 months. Oil services stocks on average are likely to trade sideways and build a basing pattern. These oil services stocks will not breakout and rally until the broad stock market has bottomed which I expect to happen late in 2016 or early 2017. Unfortunately, oil and oil stocks collapsed so fast without any retest or pause for us to get short and enjoy the ride down for profits. I feel trading oil and oil stocks will be choppy and tough in the near year. Last week subscribers and I played the energy (XLE) for a quick two-day pop of 2-4% return depending on entry and exit. These types of plays will continue, but the big trend trade in oil and energy are a long way away yet.

The easier money will be likely be shorting the stock market (buying inverse ETFs) to profit as stocks collapse which is what I provide subscribers to my ETF trade alert newsletter.

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Chris Vermeulen – www.The Gold & Oil Guy.com

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Weekly Crude Oil, Gold, Silver and Coffee Markets Recap with Mike Seery

Our trading partner Mike Seery is back this week to give our readers a weekly recap of the futures market. He has been a senior analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets.

Crude oil futures exploded this Friday afternoon in New York trading higher by $2.60 a barrel currently at 60.26 reversing recent losses as yesterday prices hit a 6 week low and traded down to $56.51 rallying $5 since as there are rumors of facilities being shut down due to the Texas and Oklahoma floods but time will tell to see if that’s actually true.

Crude oil futures are now trading above their 20 and 100 day moving average showing high volatility as I’ve been recommending a short position when prices hit a four week low around the $58 level and if you took that trade we are underwater currently so place your stop loss above the 10 day high which remains at 61.75 risking around $1.50 or $750 per mini contract plus slippage and commission from today’s price level.

This is a perfect example of why I use my 2% rule of risk on any given trade because anything can happen on any given day as I did not expect oil prices to trade nearly $3 higher today and this trade has been a loser as the risk was $1,800 or approximately 2% of a 100,000 account balance as you must admit you are wrong sometimes but we are still in this trade and not stopped out yet as Monday could be a different story.

Today’s action in my opinion was massive short covering as prices remained weak before today but we will see if there’s any follow through in Monday’s trade and if you did not take this trade the risk/reward is your favor at the current time so take advantage of price spikes while maintaining the proper stop loss.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Improving

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Gold futures in the August contract are trading below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the short term trend is to the downside after settling last Friday at 1,205 an ounce currently trading at 1,190 down about $15 this week in a very nonvolatile manner as prices are still trading in a 9 week consolidation. The true breakout to the downside is around the 1,170 level as the U.S dollar remains strong continuing to put pressure on gold in the short term, however the chart structure is poor at the current time but that will improve in next week’s trade as a possible short could be in the cards.

As I talked about in many previous blogs I don’t see any reason to own gold at the current time as the stock market despite today’s selloff still remains very strong and the trend in the U.S dollar remains in a secular bullish trend so be patient and wait for a breakout to occur. I have a theory that states the longer the consolidation more powerful the breakout as the breakout is below 1,170 then I would suggest selling a futures contract placing your stop loss above the 10 day high which could happen in next week’s trade as investors are waiting for the U.S monthly unemployment report which comes out next Friday and certainly should send high volatility and price direction back into this market.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Poor

Silver futures in the July contract are trading below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is mixed after settling last Friday at 17.05 while currently trading at 16.70 an ounce down about $.35 for the trading week hitting a two week low. Silver prices broke out two weeks ago and traded as high as 17.75 hitting a 3 month high, however I did not give any trade recommendation because the chart structure was so poor and the risk was way too high to enter so I’m still sitting on the sidelines at the current time.

The U.S dollar has regained its bullish momentum which is putting pressure on silver prices as the trend is mixed at the current time and I don’t like trading choppy markets as its extremely difficult to trade successfully in my opinion as lower prices look to be ahead in my opinion but I’m not recommending any type of position currently.

Volatility in silver at the current time is relatively mild as silver historically speaking is one of the most volatile commodities as something sure will develop in the coming weeks ahead so keep an eye on this market and wait for a better chart structure to develop lowering monetary risk as that’s the main key to successful trading in my opinion.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Poor

Coffee futures in the July contract settled last Friday in New York at 127 while currently trading at 125 a pound down about 200 points for the trading week as I’m sitting on the sidelines in this market and certainly not recommending any type of bullish position as the trend is to the downside but the chart structure is poor as the 10 day high is too far away & does not meet my criteria to enter into a new trade.

Production estimates in Brazil are expected to be very large and that’s what pushing prices lower as the Brazilian Real remains extremely weak against the U.S dollar which is negative anything that’s grown in the country of Brazil as volatility has slowed down this Memorial shortened holiday trading week but look at other markets with better chart structure.

Coffee prices are trading below its 20 and 100 day moving average as I do think there’s a possibility that prices could trade down to the 105 level over the next 4 to 6 weeks as there’s very little bullish fundamental news to dictate prices to the upside in my opinion except possible short covering at this time.

Many of the soft commodities have been going lower including sugar, orange juice, and coffee in recent weeks as global supplies are just very large and that’s what continuing to pressure prices as I don’t see that situation changing anytime soon or at least until the next growing season.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Poor

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Phil Flynn on the Growl of the Crude Oil Bears

While the bearish oil traders have been missed out on a rally for almost $20 a barrel, they are now doubling down on their bearish calls .This comes after today may set a near record 9th week of gains for the most consecutive weekly gains in at least 30 years. Yet despite that prices run bearish, market talk is getting louder and at least for right now some market participants are starting to listen. As oil tried for new highs for the years this week the bearish calls came from high and low and the press has been widely covering them and may have caused some traders to take profits. Many Bears still think that the market has been wrong for the last 9 weeks and an inevitable price collapses is just around the corner.

Bearish traders focused on the fact that U.S. production had held steady last week and talk that refiner demand has fallen. Refiners cut runs by the most in four months but have been refining product at a near record pace for this time of year. They point out that even though that U.S. supply is starting to fall it does not take away from the fact that we put away over 117 million barrels in storage over the last 6 months. Yet oil has rallied 9 weeks in a row in spite of that. Or that refined product increased in March despite the fact that normally refined product falls. Yet it may not be the lack of demand that caused that but strong refining margins that is encouraging refiners to ramp up production ahead of what should be an uptick in demand.

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We also hear some bears complain that the only reason that oil did not go down to $25 a barrel was an increase in the value of the dollar! Well they might also argue that oil would not have gone down into the $40 handle unless the dollar soared. If you look at the chart of the dollar it went straight up after the November OPEC meeting because of the thought that the U.S. was going to start raising interest rates while the rest of the world either lowered rates. While that is going to happen the fear that the U.S. would start rate increases almost immediately obviously is not going to happen. So know these dollars has adjusted by falling as U.S. data is weaker than expected. Still today an uptick in the dollar is weighing on oil.

Oil is also anticipating an uptick in demand as global easing will spark demand. Despite talk of weak demand in China they just imported a record amount of oil. Oil products did show strength as RBOB futures rallied off of refining problems. Glitch in the Mid-west could help provide some back door support for oil.

Uncertainty about the success of President Obama's Camp David Iran Deal initiative. The President tried to assure Mid-East Leaders that the U.S. would rise up and defend them from any attack. It looks like we could have an arms race in the Middle East. Gold is giving back a big part of its recent rally as the dollar tries for a comeback. The talk that India's demand was rising had been a supporting factor. Support also came from The World Gold Council report that said that Germany's demand for gold and coins spiked by 20% in the first quarter from the year before. Do you think the average German is a little worried about the impact of QE and a Greek bail out on their purchasing power? Yet global gold demand fell 1% in the first quarter, as Chinese jewelry demand fell hard. The Report now expects India to overtake China as the world's largest gold consumer.

Phil Flynn
The PRICE Group

See Phil on the Fox Business Network! Market Watch says he is a must follow, follow him on Twitter @energyphilflynn or email Phil at pflynn@pricegroup.com.

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Weekly Crude Oil and Gold Recap with Mike Seery

It's time for our weekly commodity futures recap with our trading partner Mike Seery. He has been Senior Analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets. And frequently appears on multiple business networks including Bloomberg news, Fox Business, CNBC Worldwide, CNN Business, and Bloomberg TV. He is also a guest on First Business, which is a national and internationally syndicated business show.

Crude oil futures in the March contract are trading above their 20 but still below their 100 day moving average settling last Friday at 51.69 a barrel while trading up $1.80 this Friday afternoon currently trading at $53 a barrel right near a 6 week high as the chart structure is starting to improve. I have been advising traders to sit on the sidelines and avoid this market as volatility is extremely high but it does look to me that prices are bottoming here in the short term still waiting for a breakout to occur while maintaining the proper risk management as I do need to see better chart structure as volatility is too high for my blood at the current time.

The U.S dollar is still right near 11 year highs as that market is also trending sideways giving little direction for crude oil as prices look to consolidate that massive move down in my opinion over the next several months as I think volatility is going to remain extremely high but avoid this market and look for another trend that’s just beginning. Crude oil has been the leader in recent months to the downside so when you start to see a bottoming formation possibly occur now you’re starting to see many of the other commodities like grains and metals move higher but only time will tell to see if this is a dead cat bounce or the long term bottom being created
Trend: Higher
Chart Structure: Improving

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Gold futures in the April contract are up $13 this afternoon in New York currently trading at $1,233 an ounce after settling last Friday around $1,235 basically unchanged for the trading week still right near 4 week lows is I’m recommending investors to sit on the sidelines in this market as the trend is currently mixed. Gold futures are trading below their 20 but just barely above their 100 day moving average as the S&P 500 had a terrific week as the Dow Jones cracked 18,000 to the upside as that’s where the interest lies currently as the next major level of support is between $1,180 – $1,220 but sit on the sidelines as the chart structure is absolutely terrible at the current time.

If you have followed any of my previous blogs I constantly stress the fact to avoid markets that are choppy as I think the success rate is very low unless you are some type of day trader but I hold positions overnight so look for another market that is beginning to trend and keep an eye on gold as I don’t think we will be trading this market for quite some time. The U.S dollar is still right near 11 year high and that’s always pessimistic commodities in general especially the precious metals but at the current time I just don’t have an opinion on this market as I think we will chop around in the short term.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Poor

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Weekly Crude Oil and Gold Futures Recap with Mike Seery

It's time for our weekly commodity futures recap with our trading partner Mike Seery. He has been Senior Analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets. And frequently appears on multiple business networks including Bloomberg news, Fox Business, CNBC Worldwide, CNN Business, and Bloomberg TV. He is also a guest on First Business, which is a national and internationally syndicated business show.

Crude oil futures in the March contract finished up around $1.50 a barrel closing around 52.00 after settling last Friday at 48.24 experiencing one of the best rallies we’ve seen it many months as prices are trading far above their 20 day moving average as I have not been able to say that in 6 months but still below their 100 day moving average which stands at $64 a barrel as I am neutral this market as I was recommending anybody who was short to place your stop at the 10 day high which was 49.20 as that stop was very beneficial as prices have rallied over $3 since that level was hit.

Volatility in crude oil is absolutely astronomical with prices moving 5/7% on a daily basis so please avoid this market as the volatility and the risk is out of control at the current time so wait for better chart structure to develop allowing you to place tighter stops minimizing risk and that could take some time as I don’t see the volatility slowing down anytime soon.

The U.S dollar was up 120 points today but had no effect on crude oil prices as crude is now trading right near a 4 week high, however the chart structure is terrible as the 10 day low is about a $9,000 risk from today’s price levels as that is too much risk in my opinion, however keep a close eye on this market because in a couple of days that could change as a trader I’m strictly a trend follower and if this market starts going up I will be bullish and if the market starts to go down breaking $44 I will be bearish but right now I can’t stress enough to look at other markets and avoid this market like the plague.
Trend: Mixed
Chart structure: Awful

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Gold futures in the April contract are down $27 on Friday afternoon in New York due to the fact of a very strong U.S monthly unemployment report pushing prices to a 3 week low as I’ve been recommending a long position in gold when prices broke above 1,245 and if you took that trade it’s time to exit today as prices are at a 3 week low as prices now are trading below their 20 but above their 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is mixed. Gold futures settled in the April contract at 1,279 while currently trading at 1,236 down about $43 for the trading week as the Dow Jones was up over 800 points this week as money is flowing out of the precious metals and into equities once again.

Silver futures are also down $.50 as the U.S dollar is up a whopping 100 points this Friday putting pressure on many of the commodities once again as extreme volatility is happening throughout the commodity and stock sectors sosit on the sidelines in this market as I’m disappointed that we gave back our profits and actually ended up losing slightly on this trade but that’s what happens sometimes when you trade a system as you must stick to the rules as this market fizzled out very quickly.

Gold prices have rallied from 1,130 which was around the contract low all the way above 1,300 which happened just a couple weeks ago and now has sold off about $70 as the trend is mixed and I do not like choppy markets as we probably will be sitting on the sidelines in the gold market for at least 4 to 6 weeks waiting for better chart structure to develop because the risk is too high as there is no trend as choppy markets are extremely difficult to trade.
Trend: Mixed
Chart structure: Poor

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Weekly Crude Oil and Gold Futures Recap with Mike Seery

It's time for our weekly commodity futures recap with our trading partner Mike Seery. He has been Senior Analyst for close to 15 years and has extensive knowledge of all of the commodity and option markets. And frequently appears on multiple business networks including Bloomberg news, Fox Business, CNBC Worldwide, CNN Business, and Bloomberg TV. He is also a guest on First Business, which is a national and internationally syndicated business show.

Crude oil futures in the March contract were up $3 a barrel having one of its best days in months trading at 47.50 a barrel and trading above its 20 day moving average for the 1st time in months while still below its 100 day moving average and looks like a possible bottom could be in place. If you’re still short this market I strongly suggest you place stop loss at the 10 day high which currently stands at 49.20 risking $1.80 from today’s price levels.

Crude oil futures settled last Friday at 45.59 currently trading at 47.50 up about $2 as prices actually hit new lows in yesterday’s trade as there are rumors about the new Saudi Arabian King stirring up some controversy possibly cutting production, however I truly believe that we just saw massive short covering but stick to the rules and keep your stop at the proper level and if you are stopped out move on and look at another market that is trending.

All markets come to an end that’s just the fact as I’ve seen many people reenter the market several times after having a successful run only to give back all their profits so if you are stopped out move on as there are many other markets to look at the current time as this was one of the best trends in recent memory but sometimes the best thing to do is to do nothing.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Excellent

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Gold futures in the April contract are currently trading at 1,277 up around $21 an ounce with extreme volatility after selling off more than $30 in Thursday’s trade while settling last Friday at 1,293 going out this Friday afternoon around 1,276 finishing down $17 in a wild trading week. Gold futures topped out slightly above $1,300 as profit taking ensued as prices are still trading above their 20 and 100 day moving average and I’m still recommending a bullish position and if you took that original trade place your stop loss below the 10 day low which now yesterday’s low at 1,252 risking around $24 from today’s price levels or $2,400 risk per contract plus slippage and commission.

As I’ve talked about in many previous blogs I do think gold is now being used as a currency due to the fact that the Euro currency and many foreign currencies are absolutely falling out of bed as interest rates in many countries have gone negative so who wants to place money into a bank and lose money as investors now prefer gold which has no dividend but still it’s better than a negative return. Volatility in many of the commodity markets is very high at the current time especially the precious metals and I expect that to continue despite the fact that the U.S dollar hit an 11 year high continuing its secular bull market in my opinion as I do think 100 is on its way in the next several months as the United States economy is doing much better than any economy worldwide.

Gold futures have rallied from a contract low of 1,130 all the way up to about 1,310 in the last several months as money is finally starting to come out of the S&P 500 sending money flows back into the precious metals also sending high volatility which I think is here to stay especially with all of the worldwide problems
Trend: Higher
Chart Structure: Solid

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Mike Seerys Trading 101...."When Do You Enter A Trade"

What are your rules to initiate a trade on the long or short side of the commodity market? I have been asked this question many times throughout my career and my opinion is simply to buy on a 20-25 day high breakout in price on a closing basis only or sell on a 20-25 day low breakout to the downside also on a closing basis. Many times the price will break the 25 day high and sell off later in the day only to have your trade be negative very quickly.

I would rather buy the commodity at a higher price on the close because that gives me more confidence that the market has truly broken out. However there are more ways to skin a cat and this is not the only answer because some other trading systems might rely on different breakout rules that have also been reliable.

Remember always keeping a 1%-2% risk loss on any given trade therefore minimizing risks because the entry system I use always goes with the trend because I have learned over the course of time the trend is truly your friend in the long run. I also look for tight chart structure meaning a tight trading range over a period of time with relatively low volatility. I try to stay away from a crazy market that hit a 25 day high in 2 trading sessions versus the 25 high that actually took 25 days to create.

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The New Normal for Crude Oil?

By Marin Katusa, Chief Energy Investment Strategist

You may have come across the word “contango” in an oil related news report or article recently and wondered, “What’s contango?”

It isn’t the Chinese version of the tango.

Contango is a condition in a commodity market where the futures price for the commodity is higher than the current spot price. Essentially, the future price of oil is higher than what oil is worth today.

The above forward curve on oil is what contango looks like. There’s more value placed on a barrel of oil tomorrow and in the future than over a barrel today because of the increased value of storage.

I personally believe our resource portfolios are in portfolio contango—but that’s an entirely separate discussion that I’ll get to later. In today’s missive, I want to focus entirely on oil contango.

Crude oil under $50 per barrel may seem to put most of the producers out of business, but many oil and gas exploring and producing (E&P) companies are sheltered from falling prices in the form of hedges.

Often, companies will lock in a price for their future production in form of a futures commodity contract. This provides the company with price stability, as it’s sure to realize the price it locked in at some future date when it must deliver its oil.

But the market will always figure out a way to make money—and here’s one opportunity: the current oil contango leads to plenty of demand for storage of that extra oil production.

With US shale being one of the main culprits of excess crude oil production, storage of crude in US markets have risen above seasonally adjusted highs in the last year. This abundance of stored crude has pushed the current spot price of crude oil toward five year lows, as current demand is just not there to take on more crude production.

When in contango, a guaranteed result is an increase in demand for cheap storage of the commodity, in order to clip the profit between the higher commodity price in the future versus what’s being paid for the commodity at present. This is precisely what’ playing out in oil today.

Contago, Five Years Later

Looking back at the similarities of the 2009 dramatic free fall in oil prices to $35 per barrel, after a five year hiatus, crude has returned to a similar price point, and the futures market has returned to contango (green shows oil in contango).

Floating Storage Is Back in Vogue

Oil traders are now taking advantage of the contango curve through floating storage in the form of waterborne oil tankers.

This is what a big oil tanker looks like:

I’m personally reminded of contango whenever I look out my living room window:

Here’s a photo taken out my living room window—and this is non-busy part of the harbor. At times when I do my runs along the seawall, there have been up to 30 large oil tankers just sitting in the harbor. (On a side note, Olivier and I went for a run in July along the Vancouver seawall, and we counted 26 oil tankers.) All that pricey Vancouver waterfront will have an incredible view of even more oil tankers in the years to come when the pipelines are eventually built. I can only imagine what the major import harbors of China and the US look like… never mind the number of oil tankers sitting in the export nations’ harbors and the Strait of Hormuz. Multiply the above by at least 50 red circles.

As the spread between future delivery of oil and the spot price widened, traders looking to profit from the spread would purchase crude at spot prices and store it on oil tanker ships out at sea. The difference between the spread and the cost to store the crude per barrel is referred to as the arbitrage profit taken by traders. Scale is a very important factor in crude storage at sea: therefore, traders used very large crude carriers (VLCC) and Suezmax ships that hold between 1-2 million barrels of crude oil.

In the late summer of 2014, rates charged for crude tankers began to climb to yearly highs because of the lower price that spurred hoarding of crude oil. This encouraged VLCCs to lock in one year time charter rates close to and above their breakeven costs to operate the ship.

Time charter rates share similarities to the oil futures market, as ships are able to lock in a daily rate for the use of their ships over a fairly long period of time. VLCC spot rates have reached around $51,000 per day; however, these rates tend to be booked for a shorter period of around three months. These higher spot rates tend to reflect the higher cost paid to crew a VLCC currently against locking in crew and operating costs over a longer-term charter that could last a year. Crude oil is often stored on floating VLCCs for periods of six months to a year depending, on the contango spread.

Floating Storage: Economics

Many VLCCs are locking in yearlong time charter rates at or above $30,000-$33,000 per day, as that tends to be the breakeven rate to operate the vessel. If we assume that a VLCCs charge their breakeven charter rate and we include insurance, fuel, and financing costs that would be paid by the charterer, storage on most VLCCs in the 1-2 million barrel ranges are barely economic at best.

However, they’ll soon become profitable across the board once the oil futures and spot price spread widens above $6-$7 per barrel.

The red star depicts the current spread between the six-month futures contract from the futures price in February 2015. Currently companies are losing just under $0.20 per barrel storing crude for delivery in six months. However, once that $6-$7 hurdle spread is achieved, most VLCCs carrying 2 million barrels of crude will be economic to take advantage of the arbitrage in the contango futures curve.

The VLCC and ULCC Market

VLCC= Very Large Crude Carrier
ULCC=Ultra-Large Crude Carrier

VLCCs store 1.25-2 million barrels of oil for each cargo. Globally, there are 634 VLCCs with around 1.2 billion barrels of storage capacity, or over one-third of the US’s total oil production. The VLCC market is fairly fractioned, and the largest fleet of VLCCs by a publicly traded company belongs to Frontline Ltd. with 25 VLCCs. The largest private company VLCC fleet belongs to Tankers International with 37 VLCCs. In early December, Frontline and Tankers International created a joint venture to control around 10% of the VLCC market. Other smaller VLCC fleets belong to DHT with 16 VLCCS, and Navios Maritime with 8 VLCCs.

The lowest time charter breakeven costs of $24,000 per day are associated with the largest VLCC fleet from Frontline Ltd. and Tankers International. This is followed by the smaller fleets that have time charter breakeven costs of around $29,000 per day. Of course, on average the breakeven costs associated with most VLCCs is around $30,000 per day, and current time charter rates are around $33,000.

Investing in companies with VLCC fleets as the contango trade develops can generate great potential for further profits for investors. The focus of these investments would be between the publicly traded companies DHT Holdings, Frontline Ltd., and Navios Maritime.

But one must consider that investing in these companies can be very volatile because of the forward curve’s ability to quickly change. It isn’t for the faint of heart.

However, if current oil prices stay low, there will be an increase in tanker storage and thus a sustained increase in the spot price of VLCCs. However, eventually low prices cure low prices, and the market goes from contango to backwardation. It always does and always will.

Shipping companies have been burdened by unprofitable spot and charter pricing since the financial crisis, and these rates have only recently started to increase.

Warning!

As I sit here on a Saturday morning writing this missive, I want to remind all investors now betting on this play that they’re actually speculating, not investing.

There’s a lot of risk for one to think playing the tankers is a sure bet. I have a pretty large network of professional traders and resource investors, and I do not want to see the retail crowd get caught on the wrong side of the contango situation.

In the past, spot rates for the VLCCs usually decline into February and have dropped to as low as under $20,000 per day. It is entirely possible that if the day rates of VLCCs go back to 2012-2013 levels, operators will lose money.

Conclusion: this speculation on tankers is entirely dependent on the spot price and the forward curve.
The risk of this short term trade is that these companies are heavily levered, and some are just hanging on by a thread. Although this seasonal boost to spot rates has been a positive for VLCCs and other crude carriers, the levered nature of these companies could spell financial disaster or bankruptcy if spot rates return to 2012-2013 levels.

What should be stressed are the similarities to the short-lived gas rally in the winter of 2013-‘14, and the effect these prices have had on North American natural gas companies. A specific event similar to the polar vortex has occurred in the oil market, which has spurred a seasonal increase in the spot price tankers charge to move and store oil.

However, much like the North American natural gas market, the VLCC market is oversupplied; a temporary increase in spot prices that have led to increased transport and storage of oil will not be enough to lift these carriers from choppy waters ahead. Future VLCC supplies are expected to rise, with 20 net VLCCs being built and delivered in 2015 and 33 in 2016. This is much more than the 17 net VLCCs added in 2013 and 9 in 2014.

Another looming and very possible threat to these companies is the same debt threat that affected energy debt markets as global oil prices plummeted. If VLCC and other crude carriers experience a fall in spot prices, these companies’ junk debt could be downgraded to some of the lowest debt grades that border a default rating. This will increase financing costs and in turn increase the operating breakeven costs to operate these crude carrying vessels. The supply factor, high debt, and potentially short-lived seasonally high spot market could all affect the long-term appreciation of these VLCC stock prices. Investing in these companies is very risky over the long run, but a possible trade exists if storage and transport of oil continues to increase for these crude carriers.

Portfolio Contango—An Opportunity Not Seen in Decades

If you talk to resource industry titans—the ones who’ve made hundreds of millions of dollars and been in the sector for 40 years—they’re now saying that they’ve never seen the resource share prices this bad. Brokerage firms focused on the resource sector have not just laid off most of their staffs, but many have shut their doors.

The young talent is the first group to be laid off, and there’s a serious crisis developing in the sector, as many of the smart young guns have left the sector to claim their fortunes in other sectors.
There’s blood in the streets in the resource sector.

Now if you believe that, as I do, to be successful in the resource sector one must be a contrarian to be rich, now is the time to act.

I have invested more money in the junior resource sector in the last six months than I have in the last five years. I believe we’re in contango for resource stocks, meaning that the future price of the best juniors will be worth much more than they are currently.

I have my rules in speculating, and you’ll learn from my experience—and more important, my network of the smartest and most successful resource mentors whom I have shadowed for many years.

So how can we profit from the blood in these markets? Easy.

Take on my “Katusa Challenge.” You’ll get access to every Casey Energy Report newsletter I’ve written in the last decade, and my current recommendations with specific price and timing guidance. There’s no risk to you: if you don’t like the Casey Energy Report or don’t make any money over your first three months, just cancel within that time for a full, prompt refund, no questions asked. Even if you miss the three month cutoff, cancel anytime for a prorated refund on the unused part of your subscription.

As a subscriber, you’ll receive instant access to our current issue, which details how to protect yourself from falling oil prices, plus our current top recommendations in the oil patch. Do your portfolio a favor and have me on your side to increase your chances of success. I can’t make the trade for you, but I can help you help yourself.

I’m making big bets—are you ready to step up and join me?

The article The New Normal for Oil? was originally published at caseyresearch.com

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Make No Mistake, the Oil Slump Is Going to Hurt the US Too

By Marin Katusa, Chief Energy Investment Strategist

If you only paid attention to the mainstream media, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the US is going to get away from the collapse in oil prices scott free. According to popular belief, America is even going to be a net winner from cheaper oil prices, because they will act like a tax cut for US consumers. Or so we are told. In reality, though, many of the jobs the U.S. energy boom has created in the last few years are now at risk, and their loss could drag the economy into a recession.

The view that cheaper oil automatically boosts U.S. GDP is overly simplistic. It assumes that US consumers will spend the money they save at the pump on U.S. made goods rather than imports. And it assumes consumers won’t save some of this windfall rather than spending it. Those are shaky enough. But the story that cheap fuel for our cars is good for us is also based on an even more dangerous assumption: that the price of oil won’t fall far enough to wipe out the US shale sector, or at least seriously impact the volume of US oil production.

The nightmare for the US oil industry is that the only way that the market mechanism can eliminate the global oil glut—without a formal agreement between OPEC, Russia, and other producers to cut production—is if the price of oil falls below the “cash cost” of production, i.e., it reaches the price at which oil companies lose money on every single barrel they produce.

If oil doesn’t sink below the cash cost of production, then we’ll have more of what we’re seeing now. US shale producers, like oil companies the world over, are only going to continue to add to the global oil glut—now running at 2-4 million barrels per day—by keeping their existing wells going full tilt.

True, oil would have to fall even further if it’s going to rebalance the oil market by bankrupting the world’s most marginal producers. But that’s what’s bound to happen if the oversupply continues. And because North American shale producers have relatively high cash costs (in the $30 range), the Saudis could very well succeed in making a big portion of US and Canadian oil production disappear, if they are determined to.

In this scenario, the US is clearly headed for a recession, because the US owes nearly all the jobs that have been created in the last few years to the shale boom. All those related jobs in equipment, manufacturing, and transportation are also at stake. It’s no accident that all new jobs created since June 2009 have been in the five shale states, with Texas home to 40% of them.

Even if oil were to recover to $70, $1 trillion of global oil sector capital expenditure—in fields representing up to 7.5 million bbl/d of production—would be at risk, according to Goldman Sachs. And that doesn’t even include the US shale sector! Unless the price of oil miraculously recovers, tens of billions of dollars worth of oil and gas related capital expenditure in the U.S. is going to dry up next year. While US oil and gas capex only represents about 1% of GDP, it still amounts to 10% of total US capex.

We’re not lost quite yet. Producers can hang on for a while, since there has been a lot of forward hedging at higher prices. But eventually hedges run out—and if the price of oil stays down sufficiently long, then the US is facing a massive amount of capital destruction in the energy industry.

There will be spillover into the financial arena, as well. Energy junk bonds may only account for 15% of the US junk bond market, or $200 billion, but the banks are also exposed to $300 billion in leveraged loans to the energy sector. Some of these lenders are local and regional banks, like Oklahoma based BOK Financial, which has to be nervously eyeing the 19% of its portfolio that’s made up of energy loans.

If oil prices stay at $55 a barrel, a third of companies rated B or CCC may be unable to meet their obligations, according to Deutsche Bank. But that looks like a conservative estimate, considering that many North American shale oil fields don’t make money below $55. And fully 50% are uneconomic at $50.

So if oil falls to $40 a barrel, a cascading 2008-style financial collapse, at least in the junk bond market, is in the cards. No wonder the "too big to fail banks" slipped a measure into the recently passed budget bill that put the US taxpayer back on the hook to insure any ill advised derivatives trades!

We know what happened the last time a bubble in financial assets popped in the US. There was a banking crisis, a serious recession, and a big spike in unemployment. It’s hard to see why it should be different this time. It’s a crying shame. The US has come so close to becoming energy independent. But it’s going to have to get its head around the idea that it could become a big oil importer again. In the end, the US energy boom may add up to nothing more than an illusion dependent upon the artificially cheap debt environment created by the Federal Reserve’s easy money policy.

However, there are a handful of domestic producers with high operating margins that are positioned to profit right through this slump in oil prices. To find out their names, sign up for Marin Katusa’s just launched advisory, The Colder War Letter.

You’ll also receive monthly updates on the latest geopolitical moves in this struggle to control the world’s oil pricing and the energy sector at large and what it means for your personal wealth. Plus, you’ll get a free hardback copy of Marin’s New York Times bestselling book, The Colder War, just for signing up today. Click here for all the details.

The article Make No Mistake, the Oil Slump Is Going to Hurt the US Too was originally published at casey research

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Mike Seerys Weekly Crude Oil Market Recap for Week Ending Friday December 19th

Crude oil futures in the February contract are up $3 this Friday afternoon in New York currently trading at 57.40 after settling last Friday around 58.08 a barrel finishing down nearly $1 for the trading week and traded as low as 53.94 before slightly rallying as oversupply and lack of demand continue to push oil prices to 5 year lows.

If you’re still short this market I would continue to place my stop above the 10 day high which in Monday’s trade will be 64.35 risking around 700 points or $7,000 per contract plus slippage and commission, however the chart structure will improve on a daily basis as the 10 day high will be lowered significantly in the next several days.

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This has been one of the best trends in recent memory as prices have basically collapsed in recent weeks ever since OPEC announced that they will not cut production on Thanksgiving Day which sent prices sharply lower as there is also huge supplies here in the U.S. so who knows how low prices can go as I still highly recommended not to be buying this market so if you are currently not short I would sit on the sidelines and look for a market with better chart structure and less risk.

Crude oil futures are trading far below their 20 and 100 day moving average as consumers around the country are certainly benefiting from lower oil prices at the pump which is also good for the stock market in my opinion as volatility in oil is as high as I’ve ever seen it so be careful as volatility is here to stay.
Trend: Lower
Chart structure: Improving

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Why Russia Will Halt the Ruble’s Slide and Keep Pumping Crude Oil

By Marin Katusa, Chief Energy Investment Strategist

The harsh reality is that U.S. shale fields have much more to fear from plummeting oil prices than the Russians, since their costs of production are much higher, says Marin Katusa, author of The Colder War: How the Global Energy Trade Slipped from America’s Grasp.

Russia’s ruble may have strengthened sharply Wednesday, but it’s plunge in recent days has encouraged plenty of talk about the country’s catastrophe, with some even proclaiming that the new Russia is about to go the way of the old USSR.

Don’t believe it. Russia is not the United States, and the effects of a rapidly declining currency over there are much less dramatic than they would be in the U.S.

One important thing to remember is that the fall of the ruble has accompanied a precipitous decline in the per barrel price of oil. But the two are not as intimately connected as might be supposed. Yes, Russia has a resource based economy that is hurt by oil weakness. However, oil is traded nearly everywhere in U.S. dollars, which are presently enjoying considerable strength.

This means that Russian oil producers can sell their product in these strong dollars but pay their expenses in devalued rubles. Thus, they can make capital improvements, invest in new capacity, or do further explorations for less than it would have cost before the ruble’s value was halved against the dollar. The sector remains healthy, and able to continue contributing the lion’s share of governmental tax revenues.

Nor is ruble volatility going to affect the ability of most Russian companies to service their debt. Most of the dollar-denominated corporate debt that has to be rolled over in the coming months was borrowed by state companies, which have a steady stream of foreign currency revenues from oil and gas exports.

Russian consumers will be hurt, of course, due to the higher costs of imported goods, as well as the squeeze inflation puts on their incomes. But, by the same token, exports become much more attractive to foreign buyers. A cheaper ruble boosts the profit outlook for all Russian companies involved in international trade. Additionally, when the present currency weakness is added to the ban on food imports from the European Union, the two could eventually lead to an import substitution boom in Russia.

In any event, don’t expect any deprivations to inspire riots in the streets of Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s popularity has soared since the beginning of the Ukraine crisis. The people trust him. They’ll tighten their belts and there will be no widespread revolt against his policies.

Further, the high price of oil during the commodity super cycle, coupled with a high real exchange rate, led to a serious decline in the Russia’s manufacturing and agricultural sectors over the past 15 years. This correlation — termed by economists “Dutch disease”— lowered the Russian manufacturing sector’s share of its economy to 8% from 21% in 2000.

The longer the ruble remains weak, however, the less Dutch disease will rule the day. A lower currency means investment in Russian manufacturing and agriculture will make good economic sense again. Both should be given a real fillip.

Low oil prices are also good for Russia’s big customers, especially China, with which Putin has been forging ever stronger ties. If, as expected, Russia and China agree to transactions in rubles and/or yuan, that will push them even closer together and further undermine the dollar’s worldwide hegemony. Putin always thinks decades ahead, and any short term loss of energy revenues will be far offset by the long term gains of his economic alliances.

In the most recent development, the Russian central bank has reacted by raising interest rates to 17%. On the one hand, this is meant to curb inflation. On the other, it’s an direct response to the short selling speculators who’ve been attacking the ruble. They now have to pay additional premiums, so the risk/reward ratio has gone up. Speculators are going to be much warier going forward.

The rise in interest rates mirrors how former U.S. Fed Chair Paul Volcker fought inflation in the U.S. in the early ‘80s. It worked for Volcker, as the U.S. stock market embarked on a historic bull run. The Russians — whose market has been beaten down during the oil/currency crisis — are expecting a similar result.

Not that the Russian market is anywhere near as important to that country’s economy as the US’s is to its. Russians don’t play the market like Americans do. There is no Jim Kramerovsky’s Mad Money in Russia.

Russia is not some Zimbabwe-to-be. It’s sitting on a surplus of foreign assets and very healthy foreign exchange reserves of around $375 billion. Moreover, it has a strong debt-to-GDP ratio of just 13% and a large (and steadily growing) stockpile of gold. Why Russia will arrest the ruble’s slide and keep pumping oil
And there is Russia’s energy relationship with the EU, particularly Germany. Putin showed his clout when he axed the South Stream pipeline and announced that he would run a pipeline through Turkey instead.

The cancellation barely lasted long enough to speak it before the EU caved and offered Putin what he needed to get South Stream back on line. Germany is never going to let Turkey be a gatekeeper of European energy security. With winter arriving, the EU’s dependence on Russian oil and gas will take center stage, and the union will become a stabilizing influence on Russia once again.

In short, while the current situation is not working in Russia’s favor, the country is far from down for the count. It will arrest the ruble’s slide and keep pumping oil. Its economy will contract but not crumble. The harsh reality is that American shale fields have much more to fear from plummeting oil prices than the Russians (or the Saudis), since their costs of production are much higher. Many US shale wells will become uneconomic if oil falls much further. And it they start shutting down, it’ll be disastrous for the American economy, since the growth of the shale industry has underpinned 100% of US economic growth for the past several years.

Those waving their arms about the ruble might do better to look at countries facing real currency crises, like oil dependent Venezuela and Nigeria, as well as Ukraine. That’s where the serious trouble is going to come.
The collapse in oil prices is just the opening salvo in a decades long conflict to control the world’s energy trade. To find out what the future holds, specifically how Vladimir Putin has positioned Russia to come roaring back by leveraging its immense natural resource wealth, click here to get your copy of Marin Katusa’s smash hit New York Times bestseller, The Colder War. Inside, you’ll discover how underestimating Putin will have dire consequences.

And you’ll also discover how dangerous the deepening alliance between China, Russia and the emerging markets is to the future of American prosperity. Click here to get your copy.

The article Why Russia Will Halt the Ruble’s Slide and Keep Pumping Oil was originally published at casey research

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Weekly Crude Oil, Dollar and Gold Market Summary for Week Ending Friday November 28th

Crude oil futures in the January contract are down $6 a barrel as OPEC announced on Thanksgiving that they will not cut production as the trade was expecting 1 million barrels to be cut sending prices to a 5 year low with the next major level of support all the way back to May 24th of the year 2010 at 67.15 and I still do believe with OPEC and Saudi Arabia definitely wanting lower prices that they will get their wish as prices remain bearish in my opinion. Crude oil futures are trading far below their 20 and 100 day moving average telling you that trend is lower and if you’re still short this market I would place my stop loss above the 10 day high which currently stands at 77.83 which is around 1000 points or $10,000 risk per contract plus slippage and commission as the chart structure now has turned terrible. The chart structure before today’s activity was very solid as the 10 day high was very close to where prices were trading, however when you move $5 lower in one day that’s what’s going to happen. If you’re not short this market I would sit on the sidelines because I think the risk is too high but definitely do not try and pick a bottom because who knows how low prices can actually go. The U.S dollar continues its bullish momentum up another 60 points today also contributing to a weaker energy market as the world is awash with energy supplies at the current time and you have to remember in 2008 prices traded around $35 a barrel and that was with a weak U.S dollar so prices still can head lower.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Terrible

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The U.S dollar is rallying sharply this Friday afternoon currently trading at 88.42 in the December contract as I’ve been recommending a bullish position in the U.S dollar while placing your stop loss below the 10 day low which currently stands at 87.23 risking around $1,200 dollars plus commission and slippage per contract as the chart structure is outstanding at the current time. The U.S dollar is trading above its 20 & 100 day moving average telling you that the trend is to the upside as crude oil prices are down nearly $5 which is really putting pressure on several of the foreign currencies such as the Canadian dollar which is down 150 points and I still do believe we’re in a longer-term secular bull market in the U.S dollar. The European countries look to head into recession as the trend is your friend in the commodity markets so continue to play this to the upside while placing the proper stop loss while using the proper amount of contracts risking only 2% of your account balance on any given trade in case you are wrong. The strong U.S dollar is pressuring many commodity prices to the downside as the next major resistance is at 88.51 which was the most recent high hit last week and I do think prices will continue to move higher as investors feel much safer buying the U.S dollar than buying any other currency which are all seemingly in turmoil at the current time.
Trend: Higher
Chart Structure: Excellent

Investors 7 Year Financial Outlook....Take a Look at a Clear Visual of 7 Year cycle Highs and Lows

Gold futures this Friday afternoon after the Thanksgiving holiday are sharply lower due to the fact that crude oil prices are down nearly $5 also pressuring the precious metals to the downside as gold in the February contract is currently trading down $29 at 1,167 after settling last Friday at 1,198 as I still remain neutral in this market as prices are trading above their 20 day but still below their 100 day moving average so avoid this market at the current time. In my opinion choppy markets are difficult to trade as the longer term downtrend line in gold is still intact in my opinion as a strong U.S dollar and S&P 500 continue to take money out of gold as the money flow continues to go into those 2 sectors as I still think there’s a possible retest of 1,130 in the month of December and if you remember in 2013 December was also a negative month to the downside as the stock market in my opinion will continue to climb higher throughout the rest of the year. The chart structure in gold is poor at the current time as prices have been choppy in recent weeks so look for a better market to trade and keep an eye on this and hopefully better chart structure will develop over the course of the next several weeks but I’m feeling that we will not be involved in the gold market until at least early 2015.
Trend: Mixed
Chart Structure: Poor

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Surging U.S. Dollar Brings High Volatility in Crude Oil, Gold, Silver and Grains

Crude oil futures in the December contract rallied $.65 to finish around 78.60 a barrel after hitting multi-year lows this week at 76.00 and if you’re still short this market I would place my stop above the 10 day high which currently stands at 82.88 a barrel which is around $4 away or $4,000 risk per contract as chart structure is starting to improve on a daily basis. Crude oil futures are trading far below their 20 & 100 day moving averages as prices rose today on rumors of a Saudi Arabia explosion sending prices sharply higher at one point, however I think this is just a dead cat bounce so continue to play this to the downside making sure you place the proper stop loss risking 2% of your account balance on any given trade as the trend clearly is to the downside.

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The U.S dollar was up again this week and continues to surge to the upside and I do believe that the foreign currencies continue to move lower while continuing to pressure crude oil and many of the other commodity prices such as gold, silver, and the grain market, however every market does need a kickback so take advantage of any rally in tomorrow’s trade as I still think oversupply and a strong dollar take this market sharply lower here in the short term.

As I’ve talked about in many previous blogs I have missed this trade to the downside but one of my theories was the fact that the United States government wants lower oil prices not only to help the U.S consumer but to punish Russia which has sanctions and their whole economy is based off of strong crude oil prices so this is the double whammy to Russia and I think this will continue for some time to come.

On Tuesday the Republicans gained power in the Senate and have control in the House and that is rumored to be very bearish crude oil prices as the Keystone pipeline could now take affect which have been blocked by the Democrats and will make the United States even more oil independent and put pressure on prices in the short term as the fundamentals in this market are absolutely terrible. The volatility is very high in crude at the present time so make sure that you trade the proper amount of contracts risking only 2% of your account balance on any given trade because you need to have an exit strategy when you are wrong.
Trend: Lower
Chart Structure: Improving

See you in the markets Monday!
Mike Seery

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Weekly Crude Oil Market Recap with Mike Seery

Our trading partner Mike Seery is giving us his weekly crude oil futures market recap.....go shorty, go shorty!

Crude oil futures in the August contract are down $1.00 at 101.93 a barrel and I am currently recommending a short position as prices have hit a 4 week low while placing your stop at the 2 week high of 106.10 risking around $4,000 from today’s price levels as the commodity markets in general have turned extremely bearish as deflation is a short term concern as prices are trading below their 20 day but still above their 100 day moving average telling you the trend is mixed as the chart structure will improve on a daily basis so I remain bearish.

Problems in Iraq have basically gone on the back burner and not talked about as much as it was a couple weeks back when prices hit new highs at 107 as prices are down over $2 for the trading week with the next major support around 101 and if that level is broken I think you could trade between 96 – 98 here in the short term. Crude oil prices have rallied from $90 in January all the way up to 107 as many of the commodity markets rallied early in 2014 but that has changed in recent weeks as many of the agricultural markets have absolutely plunged as I think that will start to pressure crude oil prices also due to the fact that the Federal Reserve is cutting back on the quantitative easing which is bearish commodities.

TREND: LOWER
CHART STRUCTURE: IMPROVING

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