CME: Crude Oil Prices Remain Firm

Crude oil and most risk asset markets drifted a tad lower after last Friday's meteoritic short covering rally on the back of the EU Ministers deal. The deal details are still not available and there are some indications from Finland (according to a report in Reuters) that the deal could be fraying. I am not sure that will be the case so early after the deal had been put together but these kind of rumors and comments are likely to emerge over the next several weeks as the technocrats begin the process of working out the details of the deal. As such the markets will be reacting accordingly to any indications that the deal is changing especially after the large rally on Friday.....Read the entire article.

Rigzone: Crude Oil Drops 1.2% on Economic Worries

Crude oil futures continued to retreat Tuesday as economic concerns weighed on the market. At its lowest in more than a month, light, sweet crude settled lower at $93.79 a barrel, down $1.10 from yesterday. Tuesday's trading session reached lows last seen on June 28.

Early Tuesday, a U.S. Commerce Department report showing a drop in consumer spending for the first time in nearly two years weighed down oil prices. The report also showed that incomes barely rose for the month of June. Analysts believe that the series of negative economic data is overshadowing the U.S. deficit-cutting package.

The Brent contract traded between $115.77 and $118.36, before settling at $116.46 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London. The 35 cent day on day drop came on supply disruptions in the North Sea and a refinery fire in Taiwan.

Futures for September natural gas decreased 3.3 cents Tuesday, closing at $4.155 per thousand cubic feet. According to the National Hurricane Center, the Caribbean's latest storm Tropical Storm Emily could pick up strength in a day or two; but, as of now, the storm poses a low threat to the Gulf's output. Approximately 7.4 percent of the U.S. natural-gas production lies in the Gulf of Mexico.

Natural gas prices fluctuated between $4.135 and $4.23, maintaining a similar trading range to Monday's session. Gasoline blendstock for September delivery dropped for a fifth consecutive session, closing at $3.04 a gallon.

Posted Courtesy of Rigzone.Com

Are You Ready for a Market Bounce?

During the past 4 months we have seen the financial sector (banks) under selling pressure. With real estate prices continuing to fall and foreclosures picking up speed again investors have not been that interested in holding bank stocks. And we all know that without the financial sector moving higher we cannot expect the broad market to make any significant moves higher either.

If you take a look at the financial sector ETF XLF you will notice that it’s now trading near a major support level (fair value) where most shares changed hands in the past. With this sector sliding 13% from the highs in February and the fact that it’s making a parabolic drop into a support zone I can’t help but think a bounce is very likely to form soon.

XLF Financial Sector ETF – Daily Chart

SP500 Futures – 10 Minute Chart
With the financial sector nearing major support and the SP500 staring to show signs of a bottom forming I will admit my heart is starting to pound in excitement for an entry point. I am really hoping that this week we see another sharp drop in the stocks which should spikes the volatility index up (VIX) to 21 or higher. If we can see this take place, then I will be taking a long position to catch a 2-15 days bounce in the broad market.

The chart of the past 10 trading sessions below shows a price and volume pattern which typically leads market bottoms. I’m keeping a close eye on things these days…...

Silver 2 Hour Chart
Silver took a big hair cut last month falling from $50 down to $33 per ounce. Ever since then it has been trying to form a base which will act as the next launch pad for higher prices. So far it is looking good but there is a key resistance level to breakthrough before fireworks. Keep your eye on the silver bullet.

Gold 2 Hour Chart
Gold is back trading up near its high but is starting to struggle with resistance (sellers). We could easily see gold pullback to the $1520 area before taking another run at resistance.

Mid-Week Update Conclusion:
In short, I feel investors are getting very nervous because of the 6 week sell off in stocks. There have been some technical support levels broken on the SP500 and other indexes and its these broken levels which have investors running for the door. The thing is, this type of selling happens every year and generally 2 -3 times. During a bull market I like to see fear in the eyes of investors. Until we are proven wrong about buying extreme oversold dips, they continue to be my focus.

Also if the financial sector can find a bottom and start to rally, then we will see higher stock prices across the board in the coming weeks. I am currently neutral on metals, oil and the dollar. But am getting bullish on financials and the SP500 as they move lower.

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Chris Vermeulen: How To Trade Gold and Silver’s Volatility

Understanding the key differences between both gold and silver’s risk/volatility levels plays a large part in how I choose a low risk trade setup. Those of you who follow me already know the GLD etf is my favorite trading vehicle as it provides me with low risk trading setups along with a very high win rate.

Ok, let’s jump into to comparing gold and silver as trading instruments. I get the same questions from new traders all the time and I think these two questions will help clear them up.

The questions are:

1. Why don’t you give silver (SLV) trading analysis/signals?
2. Why don’t you trade silver?

My answer to the questions are simple and the chart below displays my view.

The gold (GLD) signals I provide work with silver so you can just trade silver when I have gold long or short trade. This is the reason I don’t provide much silver analysis because it’s duplicate info.

The chart below shows how gold and silver trade together when it comes to rallies and sell offs. But notice how volatile silver is while gold had a nice slow and steady trend upwards… Gold’s low volatility trending characteristics is what I love about it. Silver on the other hand is all over the place making it easy to have protective stops triggered before the majority of the trend is over. The silver charts almost always look terrible (tough to read for a direction). I really don’t like getting shaken out of a winning trade…

The pink circles show a quick short trade we did this week catching a quick 1% drop. The short trade was for FuturesTradingSignals where we capture 1-3 day extreme market sentiment shifts.

GLD – Gold ETF Trading Chart
The chart below shows several points as to why gold/silver was screaming BUY ME on Tuesday afternoon. The two things that carry 90% of the strength in my opinion are the candlestick pattern (Bullish Engulfing) and the volume surge. Those two things when seeing on virtually any time frame are a good indication to go long for 1-3 candlesticks minimum.

Gold VS Silver – 5 Minute 3 Day Chart
This chart clearly shows the power of trading a more volatile commodity with silver being the one. This week’s buy signal in gold is dwarfed by the performance of silver. Silver has always shined more in my opinion but when it comes to trading… It tougher than it looks to trade because of the wild whipsaw action it makes on a regular basis.

Gold and Silver Trading Conclusion:
In short, gold is the safe haven when it comes to actively trading. I do trade silver here and there but the size of my position is much smaller because of the difficulty level and volatility associated with it. I will not that I do trade gold and silver futures at times but for this report I focused on ETF’s.

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How to Find Low Risk SP500, Gold & Oil ETF Setups

As we all know there is an unlimited amount of ways to trade the financial markets. Each person sees the market in a different way, has different skill sets, trading experience and risk tolerance levels. While some individuals create and use complete systems to make money there are some very basic trading strategies which still work well and require nothing more than basic charting, patience and a little money management.

Let me explain:

SPY – SP500 Index Trading Fund
You can clearly see the longer term trend which is down (blue trendine). But from simply drawing a couple trendlines and looking at the MACD (momentum) indicator you can see there is a possible trend reversal taking place. So far the SPY has broken out of its down trendline with a 4 day pop, and it’s now pulled back down to test support. A close below the trend line or the 50MA would be the exit points if the market did start to go south.

The SP500 is still stuck under major resistance, its 200 day moving average. But is trading above key support levels (20MA, 50MA and Trendline). I can feel the tension in the market between traders and we are about to see a big move once a breakout to the upside or down side is established. At this time its best to be in cash or have a small position with a protective stop in place. Once a trend starts there should be some low risk entry points along the way. If we see a strong reversal to the upside On Monday or Tuesday I would expect big buyers would step in to catch this new trend up.

Trading Fund
Looking at the price of gold we can see the trend is still down along with the momentum. A breakout would be the first step towards a possible entry point but I prefer to wait for a pullback after the breakout has taken place. Once we get a test of support I look to enter a position once there is a strong reversal candle to the upside. From there I draw a new support trend line from the previous low and connect it to the new pivot low (bottom of reversal candle). That becomes my new protective stop.

Gold still has some work to do before I would even be interested in taking a long position for a swing trade. But on a short term time frame (intraday charts) gold looks to be forming a low risk setup which I hope unfolds for my subscribers this week.

USO – Crude Oil Trading Fund
Oil has been trading in a large bearish pennant for the past 2 months and it is nearing the apex of this pattern. The longer term picture of oil is bearish but the most recent dotted trend line and the 20/50MA crossover is signaling some strength. Also the momentum for oil is positive and that helps support the price also. Again if this was to breakout to the upside I would wait for a low volume pullback to test the breakout level, then enter on a reversal back up.

Oil is one of the more challenging commodities to trade because it is affected by the US Dollar, Political Events, and Weather. In short, even if you had the analysis and timing correct there are other factors which move the price of oil on a regular basis that could quickly turn the trade against you. That being said, keep trades small when trading oil.

Trading Setups:
In short, trading can be complex, simple or somewhere in between. You can spend 14 hours or 20 minutes a day analyzing it depending on what investments you trade, whether you’re trading full time or just checking up on longer term investments.

This analysis and basic strategy shown above can be profitable if followed correctly and works for stocks, commodities and indexes. It’s just to show how simple one can swing trade the market using very basic analysis. Personally I use a much more complex strategy incorporating 15+ other data points which allows for precise entry and exit points.

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Overbought Conditions in Crude Oil Giving Bears the Advantage....Here's Wednesday's Numbers

Crude oil was lower overnight as it extends Tuesday's decline. Stochastics and the RSI are overbought and are turning bearish signaling that a short term top might be in or is near.

Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 76.45 would confirm that a short term top has been posted. If September extends this month's rally, the reaction high crossing at 79.97 is the next upside target.

First resistance is Tuesday's high crossing at 79.69
Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 79.97

Crude oil's pivot point for Wednesday morning is 77.99

First support is Tuesday's low crossing at 76.79
Second support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 76.45

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Natural gas was higher overnight as it consolidates above the 20 day moving average. Stochastics and the RSI remain bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term.

Closes above last Thursday's high crossing at 4.669 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted while opening the door for a larger degree rally into early August. Closes below the reaction low crossing at 4.452 would temper the near term friendly outlook.

First resistance is last Thursday's high crossing at 4.669
Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 4.945

Natural gas pivot point for Wednesday morning is 4.630

First support is the reaction low crossing at 4.452
Second support is this month's low crossing at 4.290

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Crude Oil and Natural Gas Technical Outlook For Monday Morning

Crude oil was lower due to profit taking overnight as it consolidates above the 10 day moving average crossing at 75.53. Stochastics and the RSI remain neutral to bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term.

If August extends this month's rally, the reaction high crossing at 79.38 is the next upside target. Closes below last Tuesday's low crossing at 74.25 would temper the near term friendly outlook.

First resistance is last Wednesday's high crossing at 78.15
Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 79.38

Crude oil's pivot point for Monday morning is 76.14

First support is last Tuesday's low crossing at 74.25
Second support is the reaction low crossing at 71.09

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Natural gas was higher overnight as it consolidates above the 10 day moving average crossing at 4.474. Stochastics and the RSI are bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term.

Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.621 would confirm that a short term low has been posted. If August renews the decline off June's high, the reaction low crossing at 4.285 is the next downside target.

First resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.621
Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 4.923

Natural gas pivot point for Monday morning is 4.550

First support is last Tuesday's low crossing at 4.334
Second support is the reaction low crossing at 4.285

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Crude Oil Slides on Overnight Profit Taking

Crude oil was lower due to profit taking overnight as it consolidates some of this month's rally. Stochastics and the RSI are overbought but are neutral to bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term.

If July extends the rally off May's low, the 62% retracement level of May's decline crossing at 81.13 is the next upside target. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 74.27 are needed to confirm that a short term top has been posted.

First resistance is Monday's high crossing at 78.92
Second resistance is the 62% retracement level of May's decline crossing at 81.13

Tuesday's pivot point for crude oil is 78.76
First support is the 10 day moving average crossing at 76.18
Second support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 74.27

The "Super Cycle" in Gold and How It Will Affect Your Pocketbook in 2010

Natural gas was lower overnight as it extends Monday's decline below the 10 day moving average crossing at 4.914. Stochastics and the RSI are turning bearish signaling that a short term top is in or is near.

Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.698 would confirm that a short term top has been posted. If July extends this month's rally, the 62% retracement level of the November-May decline crossing at 5.429 is the next upside target.

First resistance is last Wednesday's high crossing at 5.196
Second resistance is the 62% retracement level of the November-May decline crossing at 5.429

Tuesday's pivot point for natural gas is 4.960

First support is Monday's low crossing at 4.826
Second support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 4.698


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Disappointing Employment Numbers Drag Crude Oil Down Near $72

Crude oil prices fell hard Friday after a key barometer of the economy showed that U.S. companies remain reluctant to hire, dampening prospects that a rebounding economy mean more oil and gasoline demand. The nation's payrolls added 431,000 jobs last month, almost all of them from temporary census jobs. The unemployment rate inched down to 9.7 percent. Private companies added just 41,000 jobs, compared with 218,000 in April, and well below analysts' forecasts.

Stock markets dropped with the weaker than expected private sector hiring picture, and that pulled down oil prices as well. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, the NASDAQ and the S&P 500 were all down about 2 percent in late morning trading. Meanwhile, retail gasoline prices rose Friday for the first time in nearly a month, though analysts think pump prices for June are likely to continue falling, albeit at a slower pace.

Benchmark crude for July delivery dropped $2.38 at $72.23 per barrel in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier in the session, it climbed as high as $75.42. The contract rose $1.75 to settle at $74.61 on Thursday. "This jobs report makes it look like we're not going to see a summer boom," said Mike Lynch of Strategic Energy and Economic Research.....Read the entire article.

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Crude Oil Rises a Second Day on U.S. Home Sales Growth, Crude Stockpile Decline

Oil gained for a second day in New York after U.S. home sales rose and an industry funded report showed a decline in the country’s gasoline inventories, bolstering optimism that the economic recovery will accelerate. Oil advanced as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index climbed after pending sales of existing homes rose to the highest level since October.

The American Petroleum Institute said last week’s gasoline supplies fell to the lowest this year. “The flow of data from the U.S. is still on the positive side, suggesting recovery,” said Toby Hassall, commodity analyst at CWA Global Markets Pty in Sydney. “If we start to see inventories decline in line with their seasonal pattern then that should offer support to the market.”

Crude oil for July delivery increased as much as $1.03, or 1.4 percent, to $73.89 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and was at $73.77 at 1:36 p.m. Singapore time. Yesterday, the contract rose 28 cents, or 0.4 percent, to settle at $72.86. The S&P 500 increased 2.6 percent yesterday. That has pushed Asia stocks higher today with the MSCI Asia Pacific Index climbing the most since February. The index of pending U.S. home sales gained 6 percent after they were projected to rise 5 percent in April, according to the median of 40 forecasts in the Bloomberg survey.

“The economic numbers out of the U.S. have been improving gradually this month,” said Serene Lim, an energy commodity strategist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. in Singapore. “Yesterday’s API data was quite encouraging. We’ll have to see if the Department of Energy numbers match that, especially if the Cushing inventories fall”....Read the entire article.

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Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Gold and Dollar Commentary For Friday Evening

Crude oil closed lower due to profit taking on Friday as it consolidated some of Thursday's rally. The low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening on Monday. Stochastics and the RSI are turning bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 76.51 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted. If July renews this month's decline, last July's low crossing at 66.11 is the next downside target. First resistance is today's high crossing at 75.72. Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 76.51. First support is the 10 day moving average crossing at 71.83. Second support is Tuesday's low crossing at 67.15.

Natural gas closed higher on Friday as it extended Thursday's breakout above the 10 day moving average crossing at 4.247. The high range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening on Tuesday. Stochastics and the RSI have turned bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If July extends this week's rally, this month's high crossing at 4.587 is the next upside target. If July renews the decline off this month's high, this month's low crossing at 3.971 is the next downside target. First resistance is today's high crossing at 4.399. Second resistance is this month's high crossing at 4.587. First support is Tuesday's low crossing at 4.036. Second support is this month's low crossing at 3.971.

The U.S. Dollar closed higher due to short covering on Friday and the high range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening on Tuesday. Stochastics and the RSI are diverging but are neutral to bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If June renews this year's rally, the 87% retracement level of 2009's decline on the weekly continuation chart crossing at 87.79 is the next upside target. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 85.51 are needed to confirm that a short term top has been posted. First resistance is last Wednesday's high crossing at 87.63. Second resistance is weekly resistance crossing at 87.79. First support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 85.51. Second support is last Friday's low crossing at 85.33.

Gold closed slightly higher on Friday as it consolidates above the 10 day moving average crossing at 1202.90. The high range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening on Tuesday. Stochastics and the RSI have turned bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If June extends this week's rally, this month's high crossing at 1249.70 is the next upside target. First resistance is Thursday's high crossing at 1218.50. Second resistance is this month's high crossing at 1249.70. First support is last Friday's low crossing at 1166.00. Second support is the reaction low crossing at 1156.20.

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Crude Oil Drops for a Seventh Day on Build in U.S. Gasoline Stocks and Europe Debt

Crude oil dropped for a seventh day in New York, its longest losing streak in five months, on concern that gasoline demand shows signs of slowing in the U.S. and as investors delayed buying commodities on speculation that the European debt crisis will worsen. Oil slumped to its weakest level in seven months after the euro touched a four year low earlier today as European nations struggle to meet austerity requirements. Crude prices also fell after an American Petroleum Institute report showed gasoline inventories in the world’s biggest energy consumer rose 981,000 barrels last week.

“Sometimes people are focusing a little too much on the good aspects of Asia, we need to remember that the north Atlantic economies are really important for oil,” said Ben Westmore, a minerals and energy economist at National Australia Bank Ltd. in a Bloomberg Television interview from Melbourne. “And both the U.S. and Europe are very weak fundamentally.” Crude oil for June delivery dropped as much as $1.51, or 2.2 percent, to $67.90 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest intraday price since Sept. 30. It was at $68.72 at 11:48 a.m. in Singapore. Yesterday, the contract fell 67 cents to $69.41 a barrel, the lowest settlement since Sept. 29.

The U.S. Dollar traded at $1.2211 per euro at 11:50 a.m. Singapore time, from $1.2202 in New York yesterday. The euro fell yesterday after Germany said it will ban naked short selling and naked credit default swaps of euro area sovereign debt and the Bank of Italy allowed lenders to exclude losses on government bonds.....Read the entire article.

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Technical Analysis From Barclays: Oil Set to Fall on Spreads

Brent crude oil is likely to fall below $63 a barrel “in the next few weeks” as the spread between long term contracts widens, according to technical analysts at Barclays Capital. The discount for buying Brent contracts for delivery in December 2009 compared with December 2010 increased today to the most in more than two months. The spread, expressed as a negative number when the market is in contago, is now beneath a trend line connecting the low points during 2009. That may trigger further selling of Brent futures, analysts at the investment bank of Barclays Plc said yesterday in a report.....Complete Story