Crude Oil Market Commentary For Tuesday Evening

Crude oil closed lower on Tuesday as it extended last week's decline. The low range close sets the stage for a steady to lower opening on Wednesday. Stochastics and the RSI are oversold but remain bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term.

If August renews the decline off June's high, the 38% retracement level of this spring's rally crossing at 62.20 is the next downside target. Closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 69.44 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted.

First resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 67.78
Second resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 69.44

First support is today's low crossing at 62.35
Second support is the 38% retracement level crossing at 62.20

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Lower Dollar Sends Crude Higher

Crude oil closed up $1.88 at $67.38 a barrel today. Prices closed nearer the session high on a solid rebound from big losses Monday, and amid a sharply lower U.S. dollar today. Some chart damage was repaired today, but bulls have more work to do soon to suggest the June high can be taken out on the upside.

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Natural gas closed down 4.9 cents at $4.022 today. Prices closed near mid range today. The key "outside markets" were bullish for natural gas futures today, as the U.S. stock indexes were firmer, and crude oil was solidly higher, while the U.S. dollar was sharply lower. Yet, natural gas was pressured any way, which is a bearish clue.

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Crude Oil Inventories For This Week

Oil prices moved higher last week lead by traders feeling that the economy may be recovering. There is just no real evidence that the recession has even come close bottoming out. Fundamentals do not support the current price of oil, it is inflated as fundamentals have been ignored.

Here is a quick look at crude oil inventories for the last week.....



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Friday's Short Covering Rally Sets The Stage For Steady Open For Monday

Crude oil closed lower on Friday due to profit taking as it consolidated some of Thursday's rally. A short covering rally tempered early losses and the mid range close sets the stage for a steady opening on Monday.

Stochastics and the RSI are overbought and are turning bearish hinting that a short term top might be in or is near. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 62.82 would confirm that a short term top has been posted.

If July extends the rally off April's low, the 38% retracement level of the 2008-2009 decline crossing at 82.38 is the next upside target.

First resistance is today's high crossing at 70.32
Second resistance is the 38% retracement level crossing at 82.38

First support is the 10 day moving average crossing at 65.94
Second support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 62.82

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July natural gas closed higher on Friday due to short covering as it consolidated some of this week's decline. The mid range close sets the stage for a steady opening on Monday. Stochastics and the RSI are bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term.

If July renews last month's decline, April's low crossing at 3.395 is the next downside target. Closes above March's high crossing at 4.721 are needed to confirm that an important bottom has been posted.

First resistance is Tuesday's high crossing at 4.284
Second resistance is May's high crossing at 4.690

First support is Thursday's low crossing at 3.550
Second support is last Tuesday's low crossing at 3.500

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The June Dollar closed sharply higher on Friday as it consolidated some of this spring's decline. The high range close sets the stage for a steady to higher opening on Monday. Stochastics and the RSI are turning bullish hinting that a short term low might be in or is near. Multiple closes above the 20 day moving average crossing at 80.90 are needed to confirm that a short term low has been posted.

If June extends this spring's decline, the 75% retracement level of the 2008-2009 rally crossing at 77.55 is the next downside target.

First resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 80.90
Second resistance is the reaction high crossing at 81.19

First support is Tuesday's low crossing at 78.18
Second support is the 75% retracement level crossing at 77.55

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Crude Oil Fluctuates Along With Equities, Supply May Decline

Crude oil futures fluctuated along with the stock market and on speculation that a government report tomorrow will show U.S. stockpiles and demand dropped. Oil and U.S. equities swung between gains and losses as housing starts unexpectedly dropped to an all time low. Crude oil stockpiles probably dropped 1.5 million barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg News survey conducted before an Energy Department report tomorrow. “A lot of oil traders are looking at equity markets for a signal of what the economy and demand picture will look like in the months ahead,” said Tim Evans, an energy analyst with.....Complete Story

Crude Oil Closes Higher, Bears Still Have Near Term Advantage

June crude oil closed up $0.58 at $49.43 a barrel today. Prices closed near mid range today. Crude oil bears still have the near term technical advantage. The next downside price objective for the crude oil bears is to produce a close below solid technical support at $44.00.

The U.S. stock indexes closed firmer today. Trading has turned choppy this week. Banking worries and bearish corporate earnings reports this week are keeping the bulls tentative. The recent uptrends in the stock indexes are "rolling over" on the daily charts, which is a bearish technical clue.

June gold futures closed up $14.50 at $907.00 today. Prices closed nearer the session high again today on short covering and fresh speculative buying and amid a weaker U.S. dollar. Prices did hit a fresh three week high today as bulls and bears are back on a level near term technical playing field. Prices are still in a two month old downtrend on the daily bar chart, however.

The June U.S. dollar index closed down 92 points at 85.56 today. Prices closed near the session low today. Bulls are fading quickly. Bulls' next upside price objective is to close prices above solid technical resistance at this week's high of 87.22.



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Crude Oil Closes Near The Session Lows Again

May crude oil closed up $0.12 at $49.53 a barrel today. Prices closed nearer the session low again today. Trading has turned choppy. A bearish weekly DOE storage report did limit gains in crude and kept prices under pressure most of the day. Crude oil bulls and bears are still on a level near term technical playing field.

The U.S. stock indexes closed mixed but nearer their session highs today following more weak U.S. economic data. However, there were some minor positives in the data that gave stock traders some confidence the worst of the economic crisis is past. Stock index futures prices are still in uptrends from the March lows.

The June U.S. dollar index closed up 32 points at 85.25 today. Prices closed near mid range today. Bulls and bears are back on a level near term technical playing field. Bulls' next upside price objective is to close prices above solid technical resistance at 86.61.


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This Week's Chart For Crude Oil

Suncor To Buy Petro-Canada, Crude Oil Up Sharply On Fed Plan and Stock Rally

"Suncor To Buy Petro-Canada For $15 Billion Of Stock"
Suncor Energy Inc. (SU) said Monday it will acquire Petro-Canada (PCZ) for about $15 billion in stock as the two oil-sands companies bulk up to cut costs in the face of lower oil prices and a slowing world economy....Complete Story

"Crude Up Sharply As Stock Markets Rally"
U.S. crude oil futures rose on Monday, jumping above $53 a barrel as Wall Street and global stock markets rallied on a U.S. plan to buy up so-called toxic assets to tidy up bank balance sheets....Complete Story

"Schlumberger Says Another Round of Layoffs Coming"
Schlumberger is preparing for its second round of layoffs this year amid a global downturn in oil and gas activity that also has also pushed rivals to cut jobs....Complete Story

"Russia Sees No Economic Reason to Join OPEC, Energy Minister Shmatko Says"
Russia Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said his country has no economic reason to join OPEC at the moment as the national oil industry already responds to market signals....Complete Story

Crude Oil and Gasoline Futures Jump, Chevron Delays Nigerian Projects

"Crude Oil, Gasoline Futures Jump on Signs of Stronger U.S. Demand for Fuel"
Crude oil rose more than $2 a barrel and gasoline surged to a three-month high after U.S. stockpiles of the motor fuel dropped....Complete Story

"Chevron Delays 3 Nigerian Projects, Raises Cost Estimates as Much as 103%"
Chevron Corp., the world’s fourth- largest energy company, delayed the start of production at three Nigerian projects and raised cost estimates as much as 103 percent on some of its biggest new sources of output....Complete Story

"Compromise Energy Policy Within Reach"
BP's Chief Executive, Tony Hayward, writes that a collapse in world energy demand and the fall of energy prices present a rare once in a generation opportunity to craft an innovative energy policy for the United States....Complete Story

Crude Oil Falls On Deepening Worldwide Recession

Crude Needs to Close Above 5-Day Moving Average to Prompt Rally, PVM Says
Oil futures prices need to close above their five-day moving averages to make a sustained rally, broker PVM Oil Associated Ltd. said....Complete Story

"Crude Oil Falls as Equities Drop on Concern Global Recession Is Deepening"
Crude oil fell, retreating from its largest gain in seven weeks, as global stock markets declined on concern the recession is deepening....Complete Story

"Chu Focuses on US Energy, Not What OPEC Should Do"
Energy Secretary Steven Chu, whose agency has long taken the lead on global oil market policy, said he doesn't know what the Obama administration would urge OPEC to do at its meeting next month....Complete Story

Crude Oil Futures Price Updates

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Oil Futures For Christmas Eve