Monday, April 26, 2010

Crude Oil Daily Technical Outlook For Monday


Intraday bias in crude oil remains mildly on the upside and recovery from 80.53 could still continue towards 87.09 resistance. Nevertheless, sustained break there is needed to confirm rally resumption. Otherwise, another fall would still be seen before consolidation from 87.09 concludes. On the downside, below 82.86 minor support will flip intraday bias back to the downside for 38.2% retracement of 69.50 to 87.09 at 80.37 or possibly further to 61.8% retracement at 76.22.

In the bigger picture, medium term rise from 33.20 is viewed as a correction to the whole correction that started at 2008 at 147.27. Our preferred view is that rise from 33.2 is in form of a three wave structure (73.23, 65.05, ?) and should be near to completion. Strong resistance is expected around 90 psychological level, which coincide with 50% retracement of 147.27 to 33.2 at 90.24 and 61.8% projection of 33.2 to 73.23 from 65.05 at 89.79, and bring reversal. Hence, even though another rally cannot be ruled out, upside potential should be limited. On the downside, break of 69.50 support will break the series of higher low pattern from 33.2 and will be an important indication that the trend has reversed. In such case, we'll turn bearish on crude oil and expect the then down trend to target a new low below 33.2.....Nymex Crude Oil Continuous Contract 4 Hours Chart.


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Sunday, April 25, 2010

Crude Oil Rises a Fifth Day on Signs Global Fuel Demand to Recover


Crude oil rose for a fifth day on speculation demand will increase as the world economy recovers from recession. Oil traded above $85 a barrel as a Conference Board report tomorrow in the U.S., the world’s largest energy user, will probably show consumer confidence climbed to a three month high. Asian stock markets rose by the most in five weeks on expectations of higher earnings at Toyota Motor Corp. in Japan.

“People are becoming more bullish on oil demand growth,” said Serene Lim, an energy commodity strategist at Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. in Singapore. “The more positive world economic data, especially in the U.S. data, is bringing about more optimism.” Crude oil for June delivery rose as much as 44 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $85.56 a barrel in after hours electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was at $85.36 at 1:39 p.m. in Singapore.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 1.5 percent to 127.24 as of 12:40 p.m. in Tokyo, with more than seven times as many stocks advancing as declining. Oil climbed 1.7 percent to $85.12 on April 23, the highest settlement since April 15, after government reports showed that U.S. sales of new homes surged in March and orders for non transport durable goods climbed. Commodities had rallied as the dollar fell against the euro for the first time in seven days.

A Commerce Department report on April 23 showed that sales of new U.S. homes increased 27 percent in March, the most in 47 years. Bookings for goods meant to last at least three years, excluding cars and aircraft, climbed 2.8 percent.....Read the entire article.


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Weekend Gold, Silver, Natural Gas, Crude Oil & SP500 Report

Last week the market slowly recovered from the recent sell off in stocks and commodities. So far the market is unfolding as we expected and with any luck there will be a surge of low risk setups across the market in the near future. Take a look at the charts below.

GLD – Gold Chart
GLD/Gold is trading at a key pivot point. This week there will most likely be a sizable move either up or down. Past chart analysis is pointing to lower prices which would complete an ABC trace pattern and this makes for a larger and stronger rally once prices to turn back up. Silver is trading in much the same situation. Gold and silver tend to move together with silver having more volatility than gold.



UNG – Natural Gas Chart
Natural Gas continues to try and bottom and posted some solid gains last Thursday & Friday with rising volume. But we have seen this pattern form over and over again in the past year so I am not excited yet. Once the base is formed and the trend starts up we will find low risk entry points for this commodity. I would look for shorting opportunities but natural gas is so oversold I feel the risk is higher than I prefer.



USO – Crude Oil Chart
Looks like the trend line break down flushed out a lot of weak positions as seen in the volume surge. Oil momentum is still down but we are now starting to look for a buy signal.



SPY – SP500 Chart
Equities recovered nicely from the previous week’s sharp sell off. We saw volume rise with higher prices which is a strong sign of the overall strength of the market. But it is important to note that the market sentiment has reached an extreme level with 53% of traders now being bullish on the market and only 17% being bearish. This extreme level is the same level reached just before the January correction earlier this year.



Equities and Commodity Trading Conclusion:
If recent historical prices repeat again then we are looking for a small move higher on Monday and then a couple days of weakness for both stocks and commodities later in the week. The market is very close to generating several low risk trading signals which is very exciting.

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Where is Crude Oil Headed Next Week?

CNBC's Sharon Epperson discusses the day's activity in the commodities market and looks ahead to where oil is likely headed next week.





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Saturday, April 24, 2010

Crude Oil Weekly Technical Outlook


Crude oil's rebound from 80.53 resumed towards the end after initial setback and closed strongly at 85.12. Further rise would be in favor to retest 87.09 high but after all, sustained break there is needed to confirm rally resumption. Otherwise, another fall would still be seen before consolidation from 87.09 concludes. On the downside, below 81.73 minor support will flip intraday bias back to the downside for 38.2% retracement of 69.50 to 87.09 at 80.37 or possibly further to 61.8% retracement at 76.22.

In the bigger picture, medium term rise from 33.20 is viewed as a correction to the whole correction that started at 2008 at 147.27. Our preferred view is that rise from 33.2 is in form of a three wave structure (73.23, 65.05, ?) and should be near to completion. Strong resistance is expected around 90 psychological level, which coincide with 50% retracement of 147.27 to 33.2 at 90.24 and 61.8% projection of 33.2 to 73.23 from 65.05 at 89.79, and bring reversal. Hence, even though another rally cannot be ruled out, upside potential should be limited. On the downside, break of 69.50 support will break the series of higher low pattern from 33.2 and will be an important indication that the trend has reversed. In such case, we'll turn bearish on crude oil and expect the then down trend to target a new low below 33.2.

In the long term picture, there is no change in the view that fall from 147.27 is part of the correction to the five wave sequence from 98 low of 10.65. While the rebound from 33.2 is strong and might continue, there is no solid evidence that suggest fall 147.27 is completed and we're still preferring the case that rebound from 33.2 is merely a corrective rise only. Having said that, strong resistance should be seen between 76.77/90.24 fibo resistance zone and bring reversal for another low below 33.2 before completing the whole correction from 147.27.....Nymex Crude Oil Continuous Contract 4 Hours Chart.



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Friday, April 23, 2010

Phil Flynn: Deepwater Horizon Triumph and Tragedy


The more you read about the tragedy that is unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico surrounding the Deepwater Horizon oil rig fire the more you realize the magnitude and the symbolism of what is happening. Obviously the loss of life is a reminder of the risks that those in the oil industry take on a daily basis to bring us products that we take for granted. To a larger extent the history of this rig is a reminder of the type of entrepreneurial spirit that has made this country great. It represent the same type of spirit that Horatio Alger captured in his stories of America the land of opportunity or the call from Horace Greeley and John B. L. Soule that urged Americans to go West young man can grow up with the country. This accident is a loss that should be felt by us all.

The Deepwater Horizon was a marvel of modern technology. It was what they call an ultra deepwater dynamic position semi submersible oil rig. It was the size of two foot ball fields and was like a ship that used a computer controlled system to automatically maintain its position and heading. It was a rig that could reach the bottom of the ocean and the Gulf of Mexico to depths many had even imagined. In September of last year Deepwater Horizon made history by drilling the deepest oil well in history. This was an achievement not unlike landing a man on the moon or a successful space shuttle. An achievement that in another era would have inspired the passion and imagine of the nation in a nation that has become accustomed to great achievements.

Think about the implications of drilling for oil in an area of the ocean where no man dared drill before. Think of the impact it can have on a world that is not satisfied with surrendering to the sentence of peak oil but to expand our imagination and our desires to overcome the status but to do what those who think small said was impossible. Instead of surrendering to the prospect that world and the economy was doomed because of Peak Oil to those that said we have not even begun to tap the earth’s possibilities.

There are other concerns of course like fears that this accident will be used by drilling opponents as an example why we should not drill and extend the benefits that off shore drilling to the economy and the health and well being of the human race at large. In fact there was word that BP was about to announce another major discovery at the sight that would have added tens of millions of barrels of oil to the marketplace. In many ways the Deepwater Horizon was a vessel that deserved the same type to of reverence that is given to the Spirit of St. Louis or Space Shuttle Challenger. It loss is a national tragedy.

Speaking of tragedy let us talk Greece, again. MarketWatch reports that” The Greek government surrendered to the credit markets Friday, formally requesting the activation of a joint European Union International Monetary Fund rescue plan after soaring borrowing costs were seen making it virtually impossible for the debt strapped nation to meet its funding needs on the open market. The Greek government surrendered to the credit markets Friday, formally requesting the activation of a joint European Union International Monetary Fund rescue plan after soaring borrowing costs were seen making it virtually impossible for the debt strapped nation to meet its funding needs on the open market. This can impact oil yet oil seems to be less sensitive to the dollar.

Perhaps oil is focusing more on the upcoming summer driving season and the upcoming showdown with Iran. Iran had war games in the straits of Hormuz and Iran’s supreme Leader is t is lashing out as the possibilities of sanctions against his country are looking exceedingly likely. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that it is impossible to break the will of the Iranian people by threatening with nuclear weapons, and this is a shameful paper in the U.S. political history and a black spot on the U.S. government. Hey who is threatening who? Iranian war premium seems to be creeping back into oil.

Phil can be reached at pflynn@pfgbest.com Have a great weekend!




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Q1: Gold vs. MarketClub's "World Commodity Portfolio"


We began Q1 with high hopes of keeping our winning streak alive, just as we had finished out the year on a very positive note with some strong gains in Q4 of 2009.
Q1 proved to be a challenging quarter for the "World Commodity Portfolio." Out of the six markets we track, we had winning positions in four markets (that's the good news) and losing positions in the other two. However, the big disappointment in Q1 was the gold market which produced our biggest quarterly loss of any market since we began tracking the "World Commodity Portfolio."

The main reason for this loss was the choppy, trend-less action in the gold market. In the eleven quarters we have been tracking gold, we have made money in eight of those quarters. This is not the time to abandon trading gold, rather it is a time to continue with our game plan and "Trade Triangle" approach that has been so successful for this portfolio. Furthermore we have never had back to back losing quarters in gold.

On the brighter side, the grain markets proved to be resilient and just the ticket as corn, wheat, and soybeans all put in positive performances. The only other market to put in a negative performance in Q1 was crude oil. All these gains were not enough to turn the tide and prevent our only second losing quarter in eleven quarters. While the loss was 6% based on margins of $50,000 (margin is needed to trade the "World Commodity Portfolio") it was still a loss and we hate losses.

As we have said before, diversification is the key, followed by a sound market-proven game plan. This is the one way to positively approach the markets with the odds stacked in your favor.
Q2 promises to be better and we expect to turn in a positive performance. This is based on the fact that the "World Commodity Portfolio" has never lost money two quarters in a row.
Even with this quarter's loss, the "World Commodity Portfolio" has produced, on average a 60% return per quarter. This number however was greatly skewed with the huge run up in crude oil in Q4 of '08. That being said, it just emphasizes the point that you have to be in it to win it.


The results we show in the "World Commodity Portfolio" are hypothetical and should not be taken as trades that were actually made in the marketplace. The results however, do show and resemble how you would have come out using MarketClub's "Trade Triangle" approach.

If you'd like to know more about this approach visit our website at MarketClub.com

Here's to a profitable Q2.





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Crude Oil Market Commentary For Friday Morning


Crude oil was steady to slightly higher overnight as it consolidates below the 20 day moving average. Stochastics and the RSI remain neutral to bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term. If June extends Monday's decline, the 38% retracement level of the February-April rally crossing at 81.18 is the next downside target. Closes above last Wednesday's high crossing at 87.26 would confirm that a short term low has been posted. First resistance is the 20 day moving average crossing at 84.73. Second resistance is last Wednesday's high crossing at 87.26. First support is Thursday's low crossing at 81.73. Second support is the 38% retracement level of the February-April rally crossing at 81.18.

Natural gas was lower overnight as it consolidates some of Thursday's rally. Stochastics and the RSI have turned bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. May appears to be forming a symmetrical triangle off the early April high. Closes above 4.269 or below 3.879 are needed to confirm a breakout of this consolidation pattern and point the direction of the next trending move. First resistance is last Wednesday's high crossing 4.269. Second resistance is the 25% retracement level of the October-April decline crossing at 4.405. First support is the reaction low crossing at 3.879. Second support is April's low crossing at 3.810.

Gold was lower overnight as it consolidates some of this week's rally but remains above the 20 day moving average crossing at 1139.00. Stochastics and the RSI are bearish signaling that sideways to lower prices are possible near term. Closes below the 20 day moving average crossing at 1139.00 are needed to confirm that a short term top has been posted. If June renews the rally off March's low, the 75% retracement level of the December-February decline crossing at 1184.00 is the next upside target. First resistance is the 10 day moving average crossing at 1147.90. Second resistance is last Monday's high crossing at 1170.70. First support is Monday's low crossing at 1124.30. Second support is the reaction low crossing at 1102.40.

The U.S. Dollar was higher overnight as it extends the rally off last week's low. Stochastics and the RSI are bullish signaling that sideways to higher prices are possible near term. If June extends this week's rally, March's high crossing at 82.52 is the next upside target. Closes below the 10 day moving average crossing at 81.00 are needed to confirm that a short term top has been posted. First resistance is the overnight high crossing at 82.20. Second resistance is March's high crossing at 82.52. First support is the 20 day moving average crossing at 81.23. Second support is the 10 day moving average crossing at 81.00.

The CRB Index, Can It Predict Inflation and Deflation?

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Crude Oil Reverses Losses as Equities Closed Higher


Crude oil initially slumped as global stock market tumbled amid revision of Greece's debt deficits. Together with disappointing inventory report released Wednesday, the front month WTI contract plummeted to as low as 81.73. However, buying interests emerged at that level as price reversed and ended the day flat at 83.7. Strong rebound in equities and attack of Iraqi oil pipeline also supported oil.

After the EU released a report revising up 2009's Greek fiscal deficit to 13.6% of GDP from the 12.7% of GDP estimated previously, the Greek Financial Ministry reassured the market that will endeavor to shrink the deficit by 4%. With the upward revision and potential further revision, the country is unlikely to reduce the deficit to 8.7% of GDP as previously estimated.

Worse still, Moody's announced to cut its rating on Greek debt to A3 from A2. Moreover, Greek officials said that the country has prepared to ask the EU for a bridge loan. In US trading session, the market was further pressured by President Barrack Obama's call for new financial reform as well as the Senate's approval of derivative legislation requiring US lenders to spin off their swaps trading desks.

Despite the negative news, stocks managed to crawled back and DJIA and S&P 500 ended the day gaining +0.1% and +0.2%, respectively. Encouraging corporate earnings, mildly bigger than expected decline in initial jobless claims and stronger existing home sales data restored sentiment.

Specifically to the oil market, damage of an oil pipeline from Iraq to Turkey disrupted supply which will take around 3 days to resume.

Gold fell, halting a 2 day rally, as the euro tumbled to a new 11 month low against the dollar. However, the recovery after sliding to as low as 1132 signaled yellow metal's underlying strength. In fact, while the market has only focused on Greece's deficit issue, such problem has also rooted in other countries including the US, Japan and the UK. If worries intensify and spread to these countries, we believe gold should benefit.

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Thursday, April 22, 2010

Where is Crude Oil Headed on Friday?

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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