Huge Price Reversal From 6-Year Highs

Market TalkWednesday, Jul 7 2021
Pivotal Week For Price Action

Volatility is back in energy markets after a huge price reversal from 6 year highs in Tuesday’s session was followed up with more whipsaw trading this morning. After Tuesday’s outside down reversal (which the text book will tell you is a bearish signal) we saw prices rally overnight, wiping out more than half of the previous losses, only to see those gains wiped out in 10 minutes of heavy selling this morning before more modest buying picked up again.  

The reversals are putting energy prices up to their biggest technical test in 2 months, threatening to finally put an end to the rally that’s been keeping prices moving steadily higher for the past 8 months. Volatile action is often seen when a trend comes to an end, so we could be seeing energy prices finding a top, but they haven’t yet dropped below their trend-lines, so it’s too soon to say that the bull market is over.

Tuesday’s big swings were largely blamed on the OPEC drama, but the sell-off was much more widespread than just petroleum, impacting both equities and numerous other commodities, that suggests fear may be creeping back into the market after an extended period of re-opening fueled optimism seems to have run its course.  

While oil prices initially spiked when OPEC failed to come to an agreement, it quickly became clear that a lack of an agreement when the cartel is intentionally withholding production may actually be bearish for prices not bullish. Also, keep in mind that Saudi Arabia made its own production cuts – in excess of what the alliance agreed to – last year, so is free to reverse course and increase output whenever it wants.  In both price crashes of 2014 and 2020, we’ve seen the Saudis allow prices to drop to teach the Russians and Iranians (among others) a lesson, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them do something similar to the UAE now. 

stronger US Dollar also got credit for the selling, as it often does any time commodities see a broad selloff. The problem with that theory is that the correlation between the dollar and energy price movements has been strongly positive lately, which is the opposite of what it’s “supposed” to be. That certainly doesn’t help explain why the dollar moving higher Tuesday was suddenly bearish for oil when the two have been moving higher in tandem for much of the past month.

RINs joined in on the reversal action, following grain and refined products by dropping 10 cents from where they were trading in the early going. Grain prices are seeing an early bounce this morning, as refined products were, which should encourage buyers that may have grown weary after multiple big drops in the past month.

Elsa was briefly upgraded back to Hurricane status, but has since weakened again to a tropical storm and is soon to make landfall on Florida’s northern Gulf Coast. So far no major disruptions to terminal operations have been reported, or are expected, although several facilities shut down temporarily while the storm passes.

Click here to download a PDF of today's TACenergy Market Talk.

Market Update (01A) 7.7.21

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Pivotal Week For Price Action
Pivotal Week For Price Action
Market TalkWednesday, Mar 27 2024

Most Energy Contracts Are Ticking Lower For A 2nd Day After A Trickle Of Selling Picked Up Steam Tuesday

Most energy contracts are ticking lower for a 2nd day after a trickle of selling picked up steam Tuesday. ULSD futures are down a dime from Monday’s highs and RBOB futures are down 7 cents.

Diesel prices continue to look like the weak link in the energy chain, with futures coming within 1 point of their March lows overnight, setting up a test of the December lows around $2.48 if that resistance breaks down. Despite yesterday’s slide, RBOB futures still look bullish on the weekly charts, with a run towards the $3 mark still looking like a strong possibility in the next month or so.

The API reported crude stocks increased by more than 9 million barrels last week, while distillates were up 531,000 and gasoline stocks continued their seasonal decline falling by 4.4 million barrels. The DOE’s weekly report is due out at its normal time this morning.

RIN values have recovered to their highest levels in 2 months around $.59/RIN for D4 and D6 RINs, even though the recovery rally in corn and soybean prices that had helped lift prices off of the 4 year lows set in February has stalled out. Expectations for more biofuel production to be shut in due to weak economics with lower subsidy values seems to be encouraging the tick higher in recent weeks, although prices are still about $1/RIN lower than this time last year.

Reminder that Friday is one of only 3 annual holidays in which the Nymex is completely shut, so no prices will be published, but it’s not a federal holiday in the US so banks will be open.

Click here to download a PDF of today's TACenergy Market Talk.

Pivotal Week For Price Action
Market TalkTuesday, Mar 26 2024

Refined Products Seeing Small Losses Of Around A Penny While Crude Oil Contracts Hover Just Above Break Even

Energy futures are taking a breather to start Tuesday’s trading, with refined products seeing small losses of around a penny while crude oil contracts hover just above break even.

No new news on either the Red Sea shipping or Russian Refining attacks this morning, so Cocoa prices seem to be taking over the commodity headlines while energy markets wait on their next big move.

RBOB gasoline futures set a new 6-month high Monday at $2.7711, which leaves the door open on the weekly charts for the spring rally to continue. A run at the $3 mark is certainly possible in the next few weeks before the typical seasonal price peak is set just before the start of driving season.

A container ship lost power and crashed into the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore this morning, causing a devastating collapse. While cargo shipping into the area will no doubt be impacted by this event, fuel supplies are unlikely to see any notable change since the 9 fuel terminals in Baltimore are primarily supplied by Colonial pipeline. Barges from Philadelphia refineries do supplement Baltimore supplies at times, and those vessel flows will be impacted at least until rescue operations are completed and the bridge sections removed from the waterway. That said, since shipping up from the Gulf Coast via Colonial is generally cheaper than shipping an NY Harbor-priced barrel south, the amount of supply disrupted by this event will be minimal.

While we’re still waiting on the official forecasts for the Atlantic Hurricane season, early reports continue to suggest that we could be in for a very busy year due to warm water temperatures and a forming La Nina pattern.

Dallas meanwhile is preparing for a different sort of disruption, with city officials encouraging companies to let employees work from home during the solar eclipse on April 8th as metroplex traffic is expected to surge. While some isolated fuel outages are certainly possible if people start panic buying gasoline they don’t need, there’s no reason to expect any widespread impact from the demand spike.

Today’s interesting read: Why AI requires a staggering amount of electricity and may create supply competition for EVs that will end up benefitting fossil fuels.

Click here to download a PDF of today's TACenergy Market Talk.