Where is Crude Oil Headed on Thursday?

CNBC's Sharon Epperson discusses the day's activity in the commodities markets, and looks ahead to where oil is likely headed tomorrow.




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Crude Oil Bulls Fail to Defend $69 Level

Crude oil closed down $3.21 at $68.55 a barrel today. Prices closed near the session low today. Trading has turned choppy in crude. Bulls faded badly today. Crude bulls still have the slight near term technical advantage. The next downside price objective for the crude oil bears is to produce a close below solid technical support at the September low of $67.66.

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Natural gas closed up 20.1 cents at $4.721 today. Prices closed nearer the session high again today. Prices are still in a two week old uptrend on the daily bar chart. However, bulls have more work to do to suggest prices can continue to trend higher.

Today’s Stock Market Club Trading Triangles

The U.S. dollar index closed up 24 points at 76.59 today. Prices closed near the session high today on a late rally after hitting another fresh contract low early on. Short covering in a bear market was featured. Bears still have the solid overall near term technical advantage. There are still no early technical clues that a market low is close at hand for the index.

Phil Flynn: Go Ahead and Make my Day

Go ahead and make my day. Commodity prices explode in what really shouldn’t be called trading, it should be called tainting. One day after paying all “due respect” to the Federal Reserve the dollar tanked and the commodities rallied almost trash talking the Federal Reserve and daring them to do something about it. I know what you’re thinking, did the Fed cut rates 4 times or was it five? In fact in all the excitement I kind of forgot myself.

I guess the question is: does the Fed feel lucky? Well do ya punk? The commodity markets are confident that the Fed is powerless at this point and does not have the courage to challenge the dollar. Everyone knows that the Fed can’t raise rates and the Fed will keep the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4. The fact is the market does not believe the Fed has the courage to even hint at an exit strategy. Go ahead, keep printing money.....Read the entire article

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Crude Oil Drops Below $69 After Unexpected U.S. Supply Gain

Crude oil fell below $69 a barrel in New York after a U.S. Energy Department report showed an unexpected increase in stockpiles as refineries idled units for seasonal maintenance and fuel demand dropped. Inventories climbed 2.86 million barrels to 335.6 million last week, the report showed. A decline of 1.4 million barrels was forecast, according to the median of 17 analyst responses in a Bloomberg News survey. Supplies of gasoline and distillate fuel, a category that includes heating oil and diesel, rose more than estimated.

“These numbers are bearish across the board,” said Bill O’Grady, chief market strategist at Confluence Investment Management in St. Louis. “We’ve been in a $60 to $75 range since early July. Prices should go down and test the bottom end of the range after these numbers.” Crude oil for November delivery fell $2.59, or 3.6 percent, to $68.96 a barrel at 10:49 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures touched $68.57, the lowest since Sept. 15.....Read the entire article

Crude Oil Trading Choppy Ahead of FOMC Statement

Crude oil prices are near steady early today. Trading has turned choppy. In November crude, look for buy stops to reside just above resistance at $72.00 and then just above resistance at Monday's high of $72.65. Look for sell stops just below technical support at $71.00 and then more sell stops just below support at $70.00. Pivot point for crude oil today is 71.18. Today's key near term Fibonacci support/resistance level: $70.65. Wyckoff's Intra Day Market Rating: 5.0

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The December U.S. dollar index is slightly lower in early trading today, and hit yet another fresh contract low overnight. Bears still have the solid overall near term technical advantage. Slow stochastics for the dollar index are neutral early today. The dollar index finds shorter term technical resistance at 76.50 and then at Tuesday's high of 76.95. Shorter term support is seen at the overnight contract low of 76.11 and then at 76.00. Today's key near term Fibonacci support/resistance level: 77.32. Wyckoff's Intra Day Market Rating: 4.0

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December S&P 500: The shorter term moving averages (4, 9 and 18 day) are bullish early today. The 4 day moving average is above the 9 day and 18 day. The 9 day is above the 18 day moving average. Short term oscillators (RSI, slow stochastics) are neutral to bullish early today. Today, shorter term technical support comes in at the overnight low of 1,064.00 and then at Tuesday's low of 1,059.50. Sell stops likely reside just under those levels. Upside resistance for active traders today is located at last week's and the overnight high of 1,070.50 and then at 1,080.00. Buy stops are likely located just above those levels. Wyckoff's Intra day Market Rating: 5.5 Today's key near term Fibonacci support/resistance level: 1,039.00.

Pivot point--------- 1,065.35
1st Support:-------- 1,061.50
2nd Support:-------- 1,055.65
1st Resistance:----- 1,071.20
2nd Resistance:----- 1,075.05

Oil Falls After Industry Report Shows Increase in Fuel Supplies

Crude oil fell in New York after an industry report showed an increase in fuel supplies in the U.S., adding to signs demand has yet to recover in the world’s largest energy consumer.Oil pared yesterday’s 2.6 percent gain after a report from the industry funded American Petroleum Institute showed U.S. gasoline stockpiles climbed the most since January. The Energy Department report today is expected to show increases in the nation’s fuel inventories, according to a Bloomberg News survey.


“We’ve been expecting a demand recovery but we still haven’t seen much of a justification in the supply demand fundamentals,” said Toby Hassall, a research analyst with CWA Global Markets Pty in Sydney. “The underlying supply-demand profile still suggests the market could be vulnerable to a pullback”.....Read the entire article

Finding the Right Oil Plays Is Easier than You Think

It's a mistake that too many people make. I'm not immune, by any means. In fact, one of the first trades I ever made proved to be an important lesson. The mistake was simple. Several years ago, I was star struck by a big name in natural gas and thought buying this company would prove a win win deal for me. A few months later, I swallowed my pride and ended up taking the big loss.

Believe me, it's a mistake I won't make again, and the good (if any) that comes from a loss is that the bad deals end up being the ones we learn from. So what has me thinking about a painful trade from the past? A reader of mine recently shared what he called, in his words, a 'hugely successful trading story.' At first, I was elated. . . I'm always in the mood to hear a good story from one of my readers. Yet the moment he told me the name of the company.....Read the entire article

The Chinese Oil Demand Teaser

One day China’s oil demand is bad and the next, good. Welcome to another mystery from The Middle Kingdom. Yesterday oil prices were pressured on reports of bulging inventories in China and weak demand. Platts reported that Chinese oil demand in August slid 5.4% from July. Platts said that China's implied oil demand totaled 33.02 million metric tons in August versus 34.92 million metric tons in July. Oil refiners in China are reporting that demand is still weak. Reuter’s news reported that Chinese oil company Sinopec had sales of refined oil products still lower than one year ago. Reuters says that despite a moderate inventory draw in August, China's diesel inventories had been building up faster than gasoline had in past months, reflecting the slower consumption for the main transportation fuel used by Chinese industry and trucks.....Read the entire article

New Video: The Reason Why Gold Hasn’t Skyrocketed

With the printing presses in full printing mode, many people are questioning why gold prices haven’t gone higher....much higher.

In our new video, we explain some of the subtle market cycles that are at play right now in this market. These short term cycles have been the dominant force in gold all year and appear to be still in control of price action.

We believe the longer term upward trend in gold is very much intact, short term we could see more of a trading range that has a downward bias. We think when you watch this video you will get a much better understanding about the rhythm of this market.

If we are correct, you will see some amazing opportunities that we believe will be presented to traders in Q4. In fact, if everything goes according to plan we could all be looking at some very nice Christmas/holiday profits.

The video is easy to follow and I think you’ll learn a whole lot about cyclic price action in the gold market.

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Enjoy the video and please leave a comment to let us know what you think about the video and the direction of gold.

Crude Oil Rises for First Time in Four Days as Dollar Weakens

Crude oil rose for the first time in four days as the dollar declined, bolstering the appeal of commodities as a hedge against inflation. Oil climbed as much as 2.9 percent as the U.S. currency slipped to $1.4821 per euro, its weakest level since Sept. 23, 2008. Net crude oil imports by China, Asia’s biggest energy consuming country, increased 18 percent to 17.92 million metric tons in August, the second highest level on record.

“More than anything else, we are seeing a reaction to the incredible weakness of the dollar,” said Addison Armstrong, director of market research at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. “Yesterday, the dollar strengthened and oil fell more than $2. Now the dollar’s plunged to the lowest level against the euro in a year and look what’s happened”.....Read the entire article