Energy Market Updates

Demand Surge & Global Impacts

A massive increase in demand for gas and diesel stalled the downward correction we have been seeing as of late.  Adding to that, both finished products inventories fell last week, diesel futures took the lead and jumped up more than $.05 yesterday.  While we seem to be set for an early spring and hopefully a more robust construction season, the 15% increase in distillate demand has many scratching their heads.  Even with the latest increase, the 4 week average for demand on distillates is still relatively flat.  Gasoline average demand is still down about 3%, even after last weeks 6.4% increase.  Buoying pricing was also the first reported fatalities onboard a Commercial Vessel from Houti attacks in the Red Sea area.  A major global shipping lane, this latest attack will likely all but halt most vessels from entering the area.  The FED is in a holding pattern on rates, but have hinted that they will make “appropriate” adjustments in the coming months as inflation appears to be stalling, how that influences fuel pricing remains to be seen.  I would expect pricing to continue this sideways action and be somewhat range bound for the next week or so.

As we come out of the winter that wasn’t, it’s a great time to catch up on tank and fill maintenance.  DKB can assist on keeping you up to date on any new regs or products that may have hit over the winter.  For all our Marina friends, looking at getting a jump start to the season, keep in mind that DKB is the largest distributor of Valvtect Products in the Northeast. 

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World Tensions & Workforce Worries

With the inventory report delayed due the Monday holiday, we were able to enjoy the recent correction in pricing for another day.  We are about $.11 cheaper today than a week ago and $.25 lower than two weeks ago, basically back to where we started at the beginning of the month.  Interesting to note that we are right around the same spot as we were a year ago this time.   It is almost as if the market has priced in the ongoing world tension and once again is looking at more fundamental sources of influence.  The last week was like the most aggressive in terms of shipping attacks, retaliation, and a war of words, yet futures overall are lower.   Additionally, we are coming up on the two year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine with little or no end in sight.   Traders instead are focused on FED rates and demand figures that still appear to be bearish in nature.

Locally, real concerns about adequate workforce for the forthcoming Spring and Summer is a common theme amongst folks I talk with. Lean and mean is the approach that most have come to accept as the shortage for many is here to stay. DKB is very fortunate to have a full staff of Dispatchers, Drivers, Customer Service and Sales that is dedicated to providing you the service that you have come to expect.  This is a 24x7x365 business, and we pride ourselves in being here for you when you need it most.  While some take a break or breathe a sigh of relief that the winter has come, and almost left, without any major disruptions, we are already looking ahead to when the grass turns green.  No rest for the weary!

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Crude Inventory Build Overshadows Finished Product Decline

The large Crude inventory build yesterday overshadowed the decline in finished products and took the floor out of pricing yesterday.  Crude increased over 12 million barrels, largely due to the limited refinery activity in the past weeks.  Refineries are running at about 80% capacity due to maintenance, cold, and limited demand forecasts.  Fundamentals have pushed aside the risk premium in the last few days.  The Global conflict premium had shot diesel pricing up almost $.40 since the first of the year.  With distillate demand down about 10% compared to the same time last year, it makes refiners walk a tightrope on producing even with margins very high on distillates, in the $41 per barrel range currently.

As we all look towards not seeing anymore snow, Taylor Swift at football games, and cold temps, its important to know we are not done yet.  The next two weeks are often times when we get that arctic blast over a weekend making for a difficult Monday if you moved to a standard diesel too early.  Stay the course with your winterizing, DKB continues to stock and deliver winterized diesels.   Look for pricing to find its way back down over the next few weeks in much the same pattern we saw from September to January and hopefully we fall back another $.25 from here.

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Insights & Integrity: Rising Tensions & Refinery Challenges

Honesty and Integrity in all Dealings is not just a tag line for Dennis K. Burke, Inc, it is one of our Core Values as an Organization.  In a world that has become more and more competitive and polarizing, it is good to know that a true business relationships can still exist.  We strive to be transparent to our many Customers and non-Customer alike.  One of my weekly calls is from someone who is not even a Customer, but he is just simply looking for a new perspective or answer on a problem.    Which ties into another Core Value, a Commitment to Customer Service Excellence.  In my mind, a Customer is not defined as someone with an open account at DKB, it is more of anyone that I can assist or help out, in this often times crazy business.  (many of you have received a note from me with an introduction to someone who you can help out) Partly the reason for these updates is letting you know what is happening, insight in to what may be coming, and keeping an open line of communication.

At this time last week we thought we had a nice correction going on with diesel futures.  However, with rising tensions abroad, we are right back to where we were a week ago.  It is getting increasingly difficult to even sort out the players in the Middle East conflict, which has added to the overall risk premium in the fuel market.  At home, a cold snap and torrential rains has limited refiners operating capacity of late, they are down about 5% from last year.  This was evident in the inventory report that showed increases in Crude and decreases in finished products.  Total gas and diesel demand is still about 1.5% lower than last year at this time.  Look to be stuck in this range for the next week or two as refiners come back on line and demand starts to pick up.

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Cruising Through Choppy Waters: Market Swings & Red Sea Tensions

Futures markets continue to trade in wide daily ranges as it digests both inventory and demand data along with monitoring the ongoing “crisis” in the red sea area.  While diesel futures are up over $.20 from the beginning of the month, it appears it could have been a lot worse without taking into account the overall lack of demand.  Both gasoline and diesel inventories are up over last year, +9% on gas and +18% on distillates, the demand figures are what we are watching closely.  Both products are down roughly 3% versus last year, while it doesn’t seem like a large number, in the overall picture it is enough to keep markets in check from skyrocketing higher.  Again, diesel demand is often looked at a measuring stick of the overall health of the economy.  Clashes in the Red Sea shipping lanes appear to be lessening, but still ongoing, keeping many on edge.  It looks like the markets react overnight with news of new attacks, then subside as the day goes on. 

The daily price swings appear to be in play for a while until more concrete sentiment takes hold.  Having the “right size” fueling operation for your business is critical to normalizing your spend and operational involvement.  For those long term job sites or even additional onsite storage, DKB has tanks for rent or for sale, that can be fully remotely monitored.  Less deliveries, less interruptions, less paperwork all helps in saving you time and money while allowing you to concentrate on running your business versus worrying about fuel. 

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Navigating Stability Amidst Global Tensions & Winter Dynamics

The trend to lower lows every 15 days or so appears to have subsided.  Does this mean the market has found a comfort level for the next few weeks?  My sense is that most are still weighing the Global Demand vs Mid East Risk Premium battle that we mentioned last week.  Global tensions continue to be elevated as Houthis strikes have reached vessels in the Red Sea, Pakistan has now struck Iranian targets and the war of words between all nations ramps ups.  The strike first, speak later motto is what has most on edge.  With Inventories set to be released this morning, a day later due to the Holiday, a careful eye will be not just on stocks, but demand, specifically in the distillate sector.   While the middle of the Country saw a cold snap  last week, here in the Northeast we are starting to get towards more seasonable temperatures.  Again, stay the course with Diesel Winterization programs. 

Sideways market movements are often the most difficult to deal with.   While they do bring some stability to overall costs, the day to day gyrations can leave us scratching our heads.  It is important to be in close contact with your supplier and Rep to be aware of what happens throughout the day.  More so in the winter as sometimes future market movements do not translate to local physical markets. Schedule a Meeting

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Post-Holiday Recap: Navigating Global Sentiments, Mid East Tensions, & Winter Fuel Strategies

With the Holidays behind us, we would expect that we see more rational trading on the futures markets.  As mentioned, the last two weeks saw big swings due to low volume.  Still, futures appear to be stuck in this tug of war between what appears to be an overall sentiment of Bearish global demand versus the Risk Premium of Mid East aggression.   Strong increases three times in the last week are largely attributed to Houthis attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea.  Tuesdays increases came with reports of 21 drone and missile attacks, however it is to note that none of the launches reached a target, as all were neutralized well before any harm was done.  Still, the possibility exists.  Closer to home, inventories of finished product keep rising.  Gasoline rose over 19mbls in the last 2 weeks even with demand up 10% over last year.  Diesel is somewhat of a different story as inventories have increase for seven straight weeks, and sits about 12% more than last year, demand however, is down just over 10% from last year.  Trucking tonnage amounts to about ¾ of all US freight, and is “not expected to improve in the near future”. This has a significant impact on diesel demand and is often a barometer of the economy as a whole.  This may be a underlying reason for more downward pressure on the ULSD futures. 

We are in the midst of the New England winter and while it may cross your mind as to why you are buying winter fuel with it 40 degrees, I urge you to stay the course.  Temperatures can and do shift dramatically from week to week, the last thing you want is to get caught without any protection.  Reminder that there are still some Q2 and Q3 values out there if you are looking at solidifying your fuel costs, as always, we are open to discussing your needs at any time.

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Yuletide Ups & Downs: Unwrapping the Red Sea Ripples

It’s hard to stay in the Holiday Spirit with 5 out of the last 6 days being up days.  We now sit about $.20 higher than a week ago.  But if you believe in the trend that we have been in for the last four months, there won't be a lump of coal in your stocking in another week.  Rather, it would suggest that we will reach a new low. 

The recent rise can be solely attributed to the Houthis activity in the Red Sea.  A Yemen backed group that has been attacking both cargo and fuel ships in an area where about 10% of the world goods pass through.  This has lead to most majors “temporarily halting or rerouting” vessels away from the area.  Yesterdays gains were reversed with the Inventory report showing an increase in Distillate stocks and demand still about 5% less than last year.  Adding to that was the trucking index report, resuming its downward trend after a one month pause in October.  Don’t Ba Humbug yourself if you think you missed the chance to secure Q1 or Q2 gallons, have a number in mind what works best for yourself now, and when it approaches, execute.  Again, the long term trend still appears lower.  Stay in close contact with your Rep as the market moves quickly.  As we head into the last week of the year, from all of us here at Dennis K. Burke, Inc. we first say THANK YOU and wish you and your families a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!

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The Importance of Kerosene in Winterization

In a follow up from last week, I was asked by a bunch of people on an item I forgot to mention in winterization.  Kerosene.  Kero is a key component in winterizing diesel fuel as its cloud point is about -6F, significantly lower than standard diesel.  We use kero and diesel blends as a form of winterization throughout the region.  In recent years, the cost of kero has risen dramatically for a variety of factors such as lack of supply, over bought by airlines and it being a seasonal niche product in a backwards futures market.  DKB has supply and the ability to continue to provide these blends, no need to worry. 

Futures took a dive on Monday, with ULSD falling almost $.10 as concerns over the long term demand figures keep resurfacing like that annoying toy your got your kid for Christmas.  However, the market has a short memory and the news that the FED maintained rates and hinted at cutting rates next meeting provided a boost with futures having almost erased Mondays losses.  I would expect to see pricing stay within this range over the last few weeks of the year as it tends to be a heavy vacation time and traders settle up year end positions.  Diesel and gasoline inventories saw slight increase last week and demand was flat to slightly higher for both, giving support to an already charged index.  As many of us have already seen the first snow fall, please keep those fills and stairs free of snow and ice as you are never the last stop!

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Winter Diesel: Understanding Cloud Point, CFPP, & Pour Point

The long term fuel price trend continues to head lower with diesel pricing being almost $.20 lower than a week ago.  There is something in the orange that tells me we are not done. 

Recall, we don’t hit new highs and we touch new lows.  Inventories showed moderate increases for both gasoline and diesel, with demand showing its first increase in weeks.  Some demand uptick can be attributed to the start of the heating season.  That also means the start of winterized diesel fuel.  Not all diesel is the same and it is important to understand the language around winterization to keep your fleet running smoothly.  There are three key terms in talking winter diesel.  Cloud point, CFPP, and pour point.  Cloud Point is the most stringent and conservative temperature at which fuel will initially start to freeze by showing a haze or “cloud” of the wax crystals starting to drop out of the fuel.  Standard diesel has a cloud point of +15 degrees F.  CFPP or (Cold Filter Plugging Point) is the temperature at which the diesel will stop passing through a standard filter.  Additives, which have gained effectiveness over the years, can change the molecular structure of the wax molecules to prevent them from sticking together and allow them to pass through filters.  This temperature is usually significantly lower than a cloud point.  Pour Point, is the temperature when diesel loses its ability to flow.  At this point you aren’t moving.  This temp is often much lower than the CFPP.  So its important to know that if someone says the fuel is a -22F diesel, asking if that is Cloud, CFFP or Pour Point is important.  Securing Q2 pricing has gained some momentum with this recent dip, we are always willing to discuss your specific needs. Schedule a Meeting

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Winter Whirlwinds & Diesel Dips

Another wild day yesterday, and this week, as diesel futures traded in a $.10 range the last two days.  There is something to be said that when you walk into a meeting the market is up $.01 and when you walk out it is down $.08! As the December screen falls off and we look at January, the overall movement still appears to be to the downside.  Again, highs not getting higher and lows getting lower over time.  Inventories showed increases across the board this week with distillates leading the charge with a huge 5.2 million barrel jump.  Demand figures showed drops in both gas and distillates and again diesel down almost 18% compared to last year.  (Although, you wouldn’t know it judging by the endless Fed Ex and Amazon trucks showing up at my door). 

Keeping pricing elevated has been nervousness around what will come out of todays OPEC+ meeting.  Saudi Arabia has been pushing others for more cuts to support pricing as it appears to be tired of doing it alone.  Other members are not too sure if the timing is right at this point.  As you tear your World Famous Dennis K. Burke Calendar to the last page, it’s a stark reminder that winter is here.  Proper winterization of diesel is vital to keeping your fleet running.  We pride ourselves in being specialists in this area and are always willing to lend a voice for your area and what products are available.  We have seen relatively mild temps the last few winters but that doesn’t mean we should be lackadaisical about what’s ahead.  DKB is well supplied with all products to make sure your fleet is operational all season. If you'd like to set up a call or meeting to discuss what makes sense for your company, schedule the best time for you here: Schedule a Meeting

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Prices Slide Slow - but Backwardation Bodes Well for Fixed Options

Futures are up and walking, rather running, the last week after being paralyzed by conflicts abroad. 

Diesel has shed almost $.30 in value in the last week as finally people have started to take a real look at demand in the US.  The was no inventory report this week that could have halted the latest slide with the downward momentum spilling over to this morning. 

Up like a rocket, down like a feather.  Keep this in mind as we will have some buy back before hopefully getting to new lows. 

We are still about $.40 higher than early June and my sense is that the market will find a seasonal resting spot somewhere about halfway between.  A lot of attention will be on the FED’s next step on rates.  Many are thinking there might be one last hike before year end.  Backwardation remains, that can be a positive for you as there is value in securing outer months supply and pricing now.  With a backward market, the outer months do not typically come off as much as the nearer months.   Also, as demand wanes, the supply typically follows. With our thousands of Customers, we have to be well supplied, and we will be! 

As many of us leave to work and return home in darkness now, it’s a sure sign that the winter is coming.  Diesel fuel winterization is vital for any operation, and all of us at DKB are well versed in what it takes to have a smooth season and are always willing to discuss the options specific to your needs.     

 

11.9.23 ULSD

If you'd like to set up a call or meeting to discuss what makes sense for your company call anytime, or schedule the best time for you here:  Schedule a Meeting

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No Quick Fixes or Shortcuts

Not to brag, but I cook a mean steak.  Most hate the process, but enjoy the results.  It’s takes time and patience to get the perfect medium rare.  No quick fixes or shortcuts….  Same can be said about fuel pricing the last 30 days.  Even though diesel pricing is down over $.40 since mid September, it has been a real grind getting here.   The Israeli – Hamas conflict continues to be the flame keeping front month prices elevated.  As concern of this developing into a much larger regional conflict persist.  Domestically, fundamentals have kept pricing in check as Inventories have shown a mixed bag, but the real news is in the demand numbers.  Gasoline demand is down slightly over last week and last year, while distillate demand was down a whopping 8% to last week, yet up 5% to last year.  Trucking tonnage, the blood pressure of the transportation industry and overall economy, was down 4.1% in September over last year. (trucking is ¾ of all transportation modes in the US) this typically signals weaker pricing to follow.  Add in that IEA recently published they see peak Oil demand to hit in 2030, vastly different that OPEC’s estimation of 2045. 

A lot to digest, the takeaway may be that the summer run up in pricing was largely overdone.  Momentum begets momentum and before you know it you are $.50 higher.  Again, with the steep backwardation in the market, opportunities still exist in the spring and summer months to firm up pricing.   This winter may be tough as tight supplies and volatile daily price swings will rule.  Add in, what is expected to be an above average snow season, its important to have the right Supplier in your corner. One that not only has product, but the means to deliver as well.

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World Fuel Markets React to Escalating Hamas-Israeli Conflict

The obvious market moving story is the impact on world fuel markets of the Hamas – Israeli conflict that appears to be growing more intense by the day.  As traders are trying to digest what could turn into a regional mess, expect wild swings for the short term. 

At the root is how much, if any, was Iran involved as they have openly backed Hamas.  Furthermore, the US and others, have been turning a blind eye to Iran’s oil production in an effort to keep global markets well supplied.  It is a tight rope to walk for sure.  Putting downward pressure on markets in the US are revised demand figures that are now to said to be about 25% less than originally forecasted through the end of 2025.  For a variety of factors which we all are seeing on a daily basis be it better fuel efficiencies, alternative energies, or just a slowdown.  Additionally, it started to come out that Saudi Arabia is not abiding by their self imposed cuts, news struck that the Kingdom has agreed to fully supply several far east customers.   My sense is that we will bounce around this current range just below $3.00 on the screen before ultimately pulling back some more.

Even though pricing remains high in the near term, it still important to look further out.  Next spring distillate pricing remains significantly less than current pricing and some bargains might exist.  For budgeting purposes, bidding jobs, or locking in pricing, we can assist you for your organizations specific needs. Schedule a Call

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Buy the Rumor, Sell the Fact

A very different picture is painted this week after an almost $.18 drop in Diesel Futures posted yesterday, and another $.07 off presently this morning.  Prior to this, it appeared as though we were on a slow progression downward but instead the proverbial bubble burst.  Call it profit taking or a change in sentiment, it is clear that this correction is needed.  Should another heavy down day remain, we could be in for a return of pricing not seen since early May, which is about $.80 lower.  

The market should have seen some support yesterday with OPEC+ announcing they would maintain self-imposed production cuts through the end of November, however the market got an early Halloween scare with demand figures in this weeks Inventory report.  After promoting the narrative of tight supplies for months, most could not look past gasoline demand dropping 7% last week and down a whopping 15% to last year.  Distillates (all diesels) was down 4% last week and over 7% from a year ago.  Buy the rumor, sell the fact.  Diesel futures are down $.30 in the last four sessions and almost $.40 since mid September. 

A very important notion to understand is the persistent backwardation that is staying around longer than your in-laws.  November USLD is priced almost $.15 higher than January.   If it holds, this will prevent suppliers from bringing in excess or uncontracted gallons to the terminals.  In other words, their asset or investment (product), depreciates in value rather than gaining value over time.    As the closer months drop significantly, the outer months typically do not drop as much therefore leveling out the futures strip over time.  So there is some value to look at future pricing even with the high November screen. 

Again, always willing to have a call, in person or virtual meeting, to discuss your specific needs.  In this environment, you can never know too much. Schedule a Call

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The Market Giveth and the Market Taketh - Winter is Coming

We had a nice $.10 pullback going from Friday to Tuesday, but the market giveth and the market taketh. After another 2.2-million-barrel draw in crude inventories posted this week, the entire complex moved higher even with gas and diesel showing slight increases.  Furthermore, product demand showed down again year over year by about 5%.  A fair amount of talk and politicizing of a looming Government shutdown will have on financial markets and heavily regulated industries like air travel.  All providing support to pricing.  Still, it looks as though we may have topped out in the last few weeks as we move into the winter season. 
 
I know it's tough to think about winter right now, but it’s coming.  It’s widely agreed that we have moved back into an El Nino weather pattern, which for the Northeast means typically more snow and very cold January and February (good time to get fillports, ladders, and access to tanks colored, cleaned and repaired).   Looking into winter months, some may be challenged on many fronts.  It looks as though security of demand is the key factor in security of supply.  With pricing still sharply backwards, you may find some suppliers not willing to bring in excess gallons or niche product such as Kero, that are not already spoken for.  Have conversations now and be sure you and your supplier are on the same page.  DKB is acutely aware of our customers' needs and as in years past, have your needs first. As always, feel free to reach out. (You can reach out by phone, or schedule a call at a good time for you using this link:  Schedule a Call )
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Why the Surprise Down Day? The Devil is in the Details

At first glance of yesterday's inventory report you would assume that a solid up day was in the making.  As has been the case, the devil is in the details.  While all products showed modest drops, they were largely offset with massive exports, known refinery maintenance and switching to winter grade gas.  The largest market mover was the FED maintaining rates but signaling they expect possibly 2 more rate hikes in the coming months.  A large sell-off took hold pushing diesel futures down almost $.10 before settling down just under $.05.  The profit taking ideology is that if rates get higher, it dampens economic growth thus curbing overall fuel demand, add in that it makes it more expensive for foreign currency buyers of products. 

Additionally, truck tonnage was down 2.3% in August, marking the sixth straight month of year over year declines.  Many point to last year being a shipping anomaly coming out of COVID, but it is still hard not to take into account the declines.  Even though we are seeing a rebound today, expect a choppy downward progression as we close in on the winter months.  Speaking of winter….. It’s not too early to start thinking about winter product and the associated costs.  Availability of Kero as a blending component appears to be a concern for many.  Feel free to reach out to discuss how we can assist and also talk about pricing next year's needs. Schedule a Meeting

 

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Thank you Cpt. Obvious, Banks Say Lower Production Means Higher Prices

Coming off the Monday Holiday, prices surged higher Tuesday as OPEC+ heavyweights Russia and Saudi Arabia confirmed they would extend voluntary production cuts through the end of the year.  Fueling the rise from the Cpt. Obvious department, big banks publish reports to expect $107 Crude if cuts maintain.  Buy the rumor, sell the fact.  Diesel had a nice sell off going, but remember, one day doesn’t reverse the trend.  Wednesdays intraday action erased almost all of the gains only to settle down slightly.  While we still sit almost $1 higher in pricing than the beginning of the Summer, you would have to think better days are to come.  Current JUNE 24 Diesel future pricing is $.45 less than front month October 23. 

For the here and now, we all know $1 a gallon increase cuts into your bottom line significantly, many large airlines have started to float it out there not to expect good earnings due to higher fuel costs.  We can assist you in leveling out those spikes based on your specific needs.  Inventory numbers due out later today, delayed from the holiday, should give short term direction of pricing.  Even if modest drops are reported, I would expect to see the downward trend continue for diesel.  Gasoline is still disjointed from Diesel as it is starting to go into it’s seasonal specification switch which tends to push pricing down.  Timing is important in the fuel world, having an open line of communication with your supplier is vital. If you want to schedule a meeting to discuss your specific needs or questions, you can do so here: Schedule a Meeting

 

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A Tale of Two Products: News Variables Push Finished Products in Opposite Directions

Depending on the News outlet you watch or read, you will hear two very different narratives.  The one where “prices rises as Idalia makes landfall”….. or “soft demand figures push futures lower.”  It really a tale of two products right now between gas and diesel. 

Gas is more consumer centric while diesel is tied more to the Industrial world.  One is rising while the other is starting to fall.  Quick note, hurricane Idalia had little to no impact on any petroleum facilities in the Gulf or in the Mid-Atlantic, just more of a news gimmick to grab your attention. 

Consumer spending, thus gasoline demand, has been surprisingly resilient this Summer, as many of us thought that demand would crash as unemployment rose.  That really hasn’t happened and hints that the FED may still raise rates one more time are starting to come out.  While gas futures have risen roughly $.60 since the beginning of summer, it doesn’t compare to the over $1 rise seen on Diesel.  Diesel has had an unconventional run this summer.  Soft demand and varying inventories have kept pricing elevated for reasons I can not understand.  The last three days have shaved off almost $.20 in pricing and I would like to hope we are starting a nice correction in the coming weeks. 

Keep in mind, as the front months retreat, it will not be as pronounced in the outer months.  For instance, yesterday front month ULSD dropped $.11, yet MARCH24 ULSD only fell $.01.  Steep backwardation has reemerged in the diesel pit, next summer pricing is roughly $.40 lower than current. 

Two thoughts remain, will this prevent some from bringing in product again and see outages or suppliers sitting on the sidelines and also does this represent a buying opportunity for next summer needs?  We will have product for sure, and we are always willing to talk on securing some pricing. If you want to schedule a meeting to discuss your specific needs or questions, you can do so here:  Schedule a Meeting

 

ULSD 8.31.23

 

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Keeping Positive Vibes for Negative Slides on the Screen

It is difficult sometimes to stay positive when you see your fuel bill increase $.70 in a month, but recall how we said “Hope’s not a four letter word”.  The last five days (not including today) have seen about $.15 in value come off in diesel pricing so hopefully we are on our way to a modest correction.  It is even more difficult to make clarity of market factors, as most times, human sentiment moves pricing more than data.  With a large Crude drop of almost 6m barrels per day, one would assume a modest increase in futures yesterday.  Not so, as weekly numbers are often subject to sharp swings and monthly numbers are more reliable.  Monthly diesel demand appears flat to slightly down.  The market shrugged off the Inventory data and focused more China lagging economy and Fed policy. 

In terms of staying positive, My Team recently read a short book, The Go Giver.   An easy read with 5 laws on giving.  One point is the Law of Influence, where you put other people’s interest first. We work with and for, a wide range of Customers and actively promote our Customers Goods and Services to others we come across.  These referrals overtime help cultivate a large network of Individuals and Companies.  I encourage everyone to think about referrals in their business dealings, you’ll be surprised in the returns.

While we are seeing some buy back early today and the Index up early, longer term I “hope” to see the correction to continue as the summer draws to a close.

8.17.23 ULSD

 

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July Rally Continues into August

Starting off this week it appeared that we may have seen the top of the recent rally in the Commodity sector.  That changed Tuesday morning as the EIA released a guidance report that they expect US crude production to increase an additional 200,000 barrels per day based on….. yep, higher prices.  This fueled the indexes in a self-fulling prophecy sort of way and turned around what was a $.05 down day to a $.07 up day.  The buying carried over to Wednesday as the inventory report showed a solid increase in crude stocks with the products showing losses.  Key note on the crude gains is that it looks to be largely due to slashing exports.  Something we have been saying might be a prudent step for a while now.  Distillates are now $.80 higher than July 1st, erasing the steady 8 month decline that we have enjoyed.  Sentiment is fixated on Saudi led OPEC cuts and appears to shrug off any fundamental data.  It’s almost like mob mentality really.  Crude builds, soft demand, economic uncertainty, should all push prices lower. 

As someone once told me “high prices are the cure for high prices” and it is hard to see this rally continue.  Backwardation remains with both gas and diesel, you could see end of month outages.  A supplier dedicated to the Commercial End User is definitely someone to have in your foxhole during these times.  Again, I always enjoy speaking specifically about your needs, please do not hesitate to schedule a quick talk below.

Schedule a Meeting

 

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Holding out for a Correction Amid Conflicting Data

There is no sauce that can make crow taste good.  I’ve been holding to the mindset that Diesel futures market should correct to the mid $2.30s for about a month now.  We have risen over $.50 in that time with every day for the last two weeks being up.  Well, I am going on “the bound to win” theory and sticking with it! 

Strong economic data has pushed commodities as US GDP grew 2.4% last quarter, thus continued higher demand equals higher prices.  On the other hand, the FED hiked rates another ¼ percent this week which should be bearish for the products.  It appears to be overshadowed by the view of many that this is the end of the hikes as the Fed Chairman noting that “Fed staff no longer were forecasting a recession later this year, as it had in prior months.” 

Throw in the inventory report that showed stocks fall across the board and demand surprisingly resilient, the $.20 jump the last few days is easily explainable.  Gasoline is in the same boat, rising almost $.50 is the last month.  It is important to acknowledge how long, or how well, will OPEC+ countries be able to maintain their self-imposed production cuts as many Nations economies are negatively affected by them.  Saudi Arabia only is down over 8%, and the fact that all these countries are continually wrestling for market share, this could bring on a huge correction in prices.   

High prices are fun for nobody, we at DKB understand that, and work hard to provide outstanding service at a fair price.  I am always willing to discuss how we can assist your specific needs, please do not hesitate to reach out. If you would like to schedule a time to talk about your specific needs, you can pick a time that works for you best using this link: Market Talk - Set a Meeting

7.28.23 ULSD

 

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Supply, Demand & Staffing Put Question Marks on Current Rally Strength

Fuel prices sit about $.30 higher today than the beginning of the month as we broke out of the comfortable range in MAY through JUNE.  The three week rally can mainly be tied to production cuts, unpredictable inventory reports and mostly an optimistic view on the overall health of the US economy.  The bright side is we are over $1.00 lower than this time last year.  The question remains, does this rally have any legs? 

In terms of production, it is a fine line where re-emerging producers such as Venezuela, Iran, and US shale jump in heavy to take advantage of the higher market prices.  And ultimately, do those barrels have any affect on the overall supply picture and will that additional product push prices down?  Personally, I think the real key lies in the demand picture.  Diesel consumption is down roughly 3% year over year, may not seem like a lot but it is noticeable.  Gasoline is actually up versus last year, but again, that may still be lingering COVID related adjustments. 

With major National freight carriers all seeing  volumes down significantly this year, and one facing bankruptcy, it seems likely that diesel demand will remain soft through the end of the year.  We could, possibly retrace $.30 to $.50 in value should this maintain.  (special note: SPR Crude is still about 150mbls lower than last year) 

We are in this odd place as some businesses are flat out and others are maintaining.  How much of that is staffing related is tough to tell.  Being able to pivot once again may be crucial in the coming months.  Having a supplier with product, trucks, staff, and multiple delivery options to meet all your fuel and lubricant needs should be a top priority as we move into the second half of the year.  As always, feel free to reach out to discuss your specific operation. (You can reach out by phone, or schedule a call at a good time for you using this link:  Schedule a Call )

july 20 ULSD

 

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Markets Should-ing All Over Expectations

It has been a tough start for many this summer, the heavy rains throughout the region have delayed projects, hindered marina activity, and limited travel in general.  New Englanders, like the market, are resilient.  We always find a way to bounce back, move forward and DKB will be right there with you. 

There seems to be somewhat of a divorce between what IS happening and what conventional wisdom says SHOULD happen in the fuels arena.  Production cuts, inflation numbers, and demand figures have all weighed in on the direction the last week.  The last several days saw diesel pricing break out of that $.20 range we’ve been discussing, unfortunately to the high side. 

Inventories showed a large increase on crude and distillates this week, with an eye on diesel demand being at its lowest point in months, a staggering 12% lower than this time last year.  Gas stocks were flat while demand fell about 8% to last week, again likely a weather related phenomenon.  These numbers SHOULD send pricing lower. 

A mixed sign on the Inflation front, JUNE saw inflation rise only 3%, its lowest gain in 2 years and a far cry from the 9% increase last June, and closer to the 2% FED target.  This SHOULD make futures rise as an optimistic view remains of  a stronger future.  But, most anticipate another ¼ rise in rates by the Fed, thus increasing borrowing costs and forcing holders of oil to sell product to reduce overall costs and SHOULD push futures lower.  The market appeared comfortable about $.20 ago and I would anticipate a return to that level in the coming weeks. 

I speak directly with a number of you everyday, a new feature we have added is to give you and your team the ability to book some one on one time to discuss your specific needs and hurdles.  Below is a link to book a call, TEAMs video call, or meeting…. I look forward to hearing from you!

Schedule a meeting 

ULSD 7.13.23

 

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Markets Shrug off Coup Attempt & Get Back to Fundamentals

Fuel markets appeared to have shrugged off what could have been a historic week, should an actual Coup attempt in Russia transpired.  The current market mood appears to be focused more on actual supply and demand factors.  Crude inventories showed a massive 9m barrel loss this week while finished gas and diesel were relatively flat.  Gasoline futures soared yesterday taking ULSD  along for the ride, although not as much. 

Again, we are still in this range since early May as demand figures temper any long run increases.  While diesel demand is at a 6 month low and is over 7% less than last year, gasoline is up almost 4%.  Some attribute the gasoline rise to more people returning to the office regularly.  As we say often, diesel usage in the U.S. is the barometer of the economy and if that is soft, so goes the economy.  That, along with hints of another FED rate hike are keeping future pricing in check. 

The price backwardation that affected distillates for so long has found its way into the Gasoline market, far more than the normal product seasonality we typically see.  Again, this limits most from bringing in gasoline to storage as the hedge costs are not justifiable and outages can occur.  The right size tank, and a strong supplier relationship will always get you through.  Look for the day to day swings to continue as we head into the summer driving season.

6.29.23 ulsd

 

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Good News-Bad News See-Saw Keeps ULSD Range Bound (Still)

The daily ebb and flow of positive and negative data continues to keep future distillate pricing in the $.20 range since early May.  Although we are on the high side of the range, current inventory and demand data might indicate a slight retreat in the days to come. 

Crude saw a large increase with the weekly inventory report, gas and distillates were also up 1% and 2% respectively.  Coupled with the FEDs non action on interest rates, we saw gains from Tuesday cut in half by Wednesday afternoon.  While economic data appears to be stabilizing, the FED did make sure to note that 2 more rounds of rate hikes are “not off the table”.  Demand still appears to be the unicorn nobody is able to catch.  After last weeks bump in demand, Distillates showed a sharp 6.3% drop over last week and down over 1% over last year.  Moreover, most are still looking at China’s rebuilding process with those figures not much clearer.  The reopening is robust, but nowhere near what it needs to be to get them back to pre-pandemic levels.   Many key banks have now cut their year end target prices for Crude and products thus keeping any large gains in check. 

What does this mean for you?  Short term, I would expect to maintain this range as speculative money doesn’t appear to be flowing into the market.  Refilling SPR contracts have begun to be sold, China and US demand is waning and Saudi’s just cant help themselves from producing product.  I talk with many of you throughout the week, feel free to reach out with specific questions or we are always willing to meet.

6.15.23 ULSD

 

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Where there's Smoke, there's Conflicting Market Indicators?

It appears that the Canadian Wildfires have spread a cloudy haze not just over the Northeast but also over the collective minds in the Fuel Markets.  The last few days produced data that simply put, has baffled market sentiment.  First to note, Diesel prices are roughly $2 LESS per gallon today versus a year ago.  Thus, one would assume production and inventories to fall.  This week’s Inventory report showed production is UP 2% and Inventories are UP 2.5%, yet future pricing is about $.20 HIGHER than a week ago.  Again, usually higher stocks trigger lower production and falling prices. 

Throw in that Saudi Arabia announced it was going alone and instituting an additional 1mbpd cut and domestic diesel demand is UP 4.5% over last year, this appears to have many bewildered as to market direction.  The other head scratcher is the US freight Index, which measures all shipping/freight volumes and is looked at as a barometer for the economy showed that we are DOWN 2.5% over last year.  How can demand be up, but freight be down?  Granted there are other avenues of usage, but shipping is typically the brunt of it. 

As we have been saying, we will likely be within this $.20 range from high to low for the next few weeks until some sort of clarity prevails.  We are keeping an eye on the developing backwardation again in both gas and diesel pricing. (outer months less then front months)  While we thought we were past this, it may start to limit what some bring into storage.  It is crucial to have a Supplier on your side rather than a Marketer.

6.8.23 ULSD

 

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Trading Ranges Stay Wide Amid News Cycling

As we mentioned, futures markets traded in a wide $.20 range for the last month and we are just about back to where we started on May 1st.   Recent drops center primarily around a pending agreement on the National Debt Ceiling which is expected to roll through the Houses in the coming days.  More importantly to take notice, is that we have shrugged off the huge inventory losses last week and focused more on Chinese demand.  Reports that China’s manufacturing Index fell ½ percent signals the global demand for products and fuel may be slipping.  Domestically,  notes that the Labor market remaining tight may hint that the FED may lift rates in the coming week one last time.  And we might see a bump in Inventories this week unexpectedly as reporting can often get skewed around holiday weeks.  We are also seeing Canadian Oil fields restarting after being shut down due to wildfires.

There is always a vast array of news and factors that move the Oil complex.  Most of which is already 12 to 24 hours old by the time it gets reported on in the mainstream media.  It is important to have a trusted source that can offer a clear and unbiased picture of what has, and what is happening.   It doesn’t matter if you’re a small landscaper, midsize trash company or Large National Fleet, DKB strives to be that trusted source for you and your business.  In a recent survey of Trucking Fleet Managers, pricing and supply of fuel, reclaimed the number one issue facing their Industry.    With the countless other issues you have to deal with operating a business, I am sure we can assist you navigate the road ahead.

My overall sentiment for pricing remains neutral for the coming weeks.  OPEC, FED, JOBS(demand)… those appear to be the big market movers on the horizon.  With the outer months relatively flat, it may not be a bad idea to look at Q1 and Q2 fixed pricing for a portion of your needs.

6.1.23 ULSD

 

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Market Volatility Continues as Driving Season Kicks Off

As expected, pricing has remained range bound the past week as we try to digest the often mixed data and the volatile news cycle.   Thankfully, I have a constant supply of TUMS within arm’s reach.  Pushing prices higher recently are the drop in finished products for gas and distillates as gasoline is about 2% lower than last year and distillates relatively flat.  Additionally, on a global scale, fires in Canada look to be shutting in about 250,000 b/p/d and reports are that Russia will enact another cut of 300,000 b/p/d in the coming weeks.  That is being offset by a lingering fear of another banking crisis should a debt limit deal not be reached and more importantly a pending credit crunch as rates remain elevated.  Domestic demand for both gas and diesel is down about 2% versus last year and while Chinese demand is robust, most say it is well below where it needs to be after a total lockdown. 

As we mentioned, Gasoline takes the drivers seat for the summer months and many of you have asked “why is my local station out of gas for a few hours every now and then?”  The answer is twofold.  First, the backwardation that plagued the diesel market for month has jumped over to the gasoline strip.  Outer months are priced less than near months giving suppliers little reason to have robust inventories available as any in tank product takes a loss in value on the month change.  Secondly, the lack of drivers to haul the product continues to be the 300lb gorilla that nobody really has an answer for.  Fortunately, DKB is well supplied and has a fully staffed Team of Professional drivers to continue to provide the exceptional service you expect from your fuel supplier.

Look for pricing to remain choppy as the summer progresses with the caveat that any hurricane threat to the Gulf area will quickly change the trend.

5.18.23

 

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Mixed Signals on Fundamentals in the Markets

After hitting yearly lows last week, Diesel pricing has risen over $.15 in the last week.  As expected, bargain hunters typically buy in regardless of fundamentals.  The increases have been muted somewhat as there is still that languishing fear that demand will fall off the proverbial shelf in the last two quarters. However, this weeks report showed that gasoline and diesel demand in the US remains somewhat strong, posting gains over last week and last year.  While both products showed draws in inventories this week, and Crude showed a solid increase, that appears to more of a factor of less refinery production than anything else.  Inventories for all appear stable with the exception of the SPR which is expected to begin repurchasing soon. 

While recent Inflation numbers dipped below 5%, down for the 10th straight month, it is still much higher than the FED sweet spot of 2%.  My sense is the street is correct and we will not see another rate hike in the coming months. 

Gas will start to take the lead as the summer driving season kicks off and it will be interesting to see how Americans will act ahead of relatively unstable future.  Moreover, how will the commercial sector be affected?  Speaking with a number of Customers in various fields, most are “cautiously optimistic” about the upcoming months.  Work is steady, pricing is palatable, but labor remains tough.   DKB can assist with mitigating some of the uncertainty, please do not hesitate to reach out to discuss.  Expect sideways price movements for the next week with a wide rage of $.20 on both products.

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Demand Forecasts and FED Policy impacts outweigh Fundamentals

Typically Inventory levels and price direction have an inverse relationship.  When Inventories rise, prices fall…. When Inventories fall, prices rise.  As one said, “this ain’t no typical market”.   

We said several weeks ago that market direction would weigh heavy on OPEC and FED policy and we see that now as fundamental factors are temporarily moved aside.  With Distillate inventories falling by 1.2m barrels and gasoline rising by 1.8m barrels, most are focused on what is said to be the final rate increase of .25% by the FED.  This is the tenth increase in just over a year.  Demand for finished products is starting to wane year over year, signaling to some that a real slowdown is imminent and FED policy is, for lack of a better term, working

Diesel pricing has fallen about $.40 in the last two weeks, and for most of us it is a well needed reprieve.  However, this is the fifth “bottom” we have seen in a year, (see chart) does this mean we will see a buyback in the next several days?  With true Russian export numbers showing robust shipments, highest since 2019, I would suggest that the global market is well supplied and demand forecasts are the true driver in the marketplace. 

Look to see pricing stabilize over the next few weeks (again with large day to day movements) as you will start to hear more and more on the labor market and unemployment figures, which is the collateral damage of rising rates.  While the supply picture is much improved in the region, it is still crucial to be in communication with your supplier as many are employing a “just in time” resupply approach.  It will also be interesting to see how the pending credit crunch will affect our industry.  Having a reliable, well supplied fuel provider, like DKB, will be key in the last two quarters of the year.

ulsd 5.4.23

 

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Sideways Action in the Markets as the Season Shifts

We suggested last week that there would likely be sideways action in the market as everyone digests what impact production cuts will have, and that is exactly what has happened.  We have seen large daily moves, but overall we are just about where we were a week ago. 

For most of us, we are coming into our busy season, putting boats in the water, paving or landscape crews coming back, large summer construction jobs, or more runs added to the fleet.  In my many discussions with customers, most are cautiously optimistic about the coming months.  The top two topics are still People and Pricing.  The Labor problem doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon as most of us are doing more with less, and for the most part, getting used to it.  Pricing for physical goods has started to ease,  but those “services” we all rely on remains higher (again because of the labor market). 

Fuel pricing over the summer will likely be dependent on more fundamental forces than anything else as we appear to be at a comfortable price range.  China’s demand will be a major factor as currently Crude Imports are now at their highest level in over 3 years.  Domestic Diesel demand, while falling slightly week over week, is still about 8% higher than last year.  Physical fuel supplies remain in a delicate balance as a number of supplies try to navigate the stubborn backwardation in the futures market. 

The Supplier-Customer relationship could be tested over the summer should a well timed Hurricane hit the Gulf.  Spring is always a great time to do housekeeping.  A fresh coat of paint on the fill covers, cleaning away any shrubs from tanks, making sure steps are secure, always helps us be able to serve you better. 

4.13.23

 

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"Surprise" Production Cuts Raise Inflationary Fears (Again)

Oil markets moved higher this week primarily on the “surprise” production cut announced Sunday evening.  Recall two weeks ago we cautioned   “ All eyes will be on the FED and what they announce in the next meeting, more rate hikes or not?  Also look to see if OPEC+ decides to cut production to bolster prices in the coming weeks.”    

It wasn’t the shock of a million barrel cut, more of the agreement that Russia would extend their already in place cut of 500k bbls for another six months, thus totaling the Cartels cut to 1 million.  Fear not, it has been a very long time since OPEC has actually adhered to output quotes.  Most of the time the money is too good to pass up for many Nations. 

The fear with the cut is that Inflationary risk will rise as overall cost become higher.  As US manufacturing activity fell for the fifth straight month, coupled with yesterdays Inventory report showing Refining production slowing, it might signal that Inflation will continue to rise as demand remains high.  I tend to think about it differently (hold your comments) - If the cuts raise fuel prices, and people have to spend more on gas, heat, power, etc….  wouldn’t that force them to have less to spend on discretionary items therefore pushing down demand and subsequently lowering inflation?  We will leave that to people much smarter than me.  (Again, hold your comments). 

The draws across the board with inventories yesterday didn’t help any as futures again rose and we sit about $.10 higher than we did Monday morning.  As cooler heads prevail and the mentality shifts back towards the overall healthy of the economy in the months ahead, expect sideways daily pricing moves with a wide range from high to low.

4.6.23 ULSD

 

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Surprise Inventory Increase Fuels Selling Off

A surprise increase in Distillate inventories fueled a sell off across all pits yesterday.   Distillates grew by 300k barrels while most expected a decline of about 1.5m.  This, coupled with surprisingly low demand numbers (down almost 7%) saw the pit erase the roughly $.15 in gains added in the last two weeks.  It appears that we are continuing that slow progression downwards with mindless swings in between. 

Today will be interesting as it is technically the last trading day for the APRIL ULSD contract and it is still priced above the $2.65 level with the MAY contract well under at $2.58.  Where will they meet? 

Also pushing prices down is a more optimistic view of the banking system taking hold as several major US banks are buying up deposits and loans of the now failed SVP bank.  We had said several weeks ago that if, and when, the market reaches this level it would have to “reassess” where it will move towards. 

Looking in the rearview mirror, it appears that there is still value to Q3 and Q4 fixed price gallons.  Several key fundamental factors will weigh in on direction over the next few weeks such as FED Interest rate policy and overall economic temperature, demand for products and the summer driving season.  Globally, it will be China’s demand for products, of course Russian price cap effectiveness and product movement, and as always OPEC output quotas.  The day to day price swings do not look to be going away any time soon, moreover the intraday swings are just as dramatic.

3.30.23 ULSD

 

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Financial Industry Fear Replaces Russia Supply Concerns, Drops NYMEX

On February 24, 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine thrusting oil markets into one of the most volatile periods in decades, reaching prices never seen before.  At just over a year later, the APR contract is just $.01 off of where we were when this all started.  (see close on 2.24.23 below and chart) .  The circumstances around the recent drop are obviously derived from the recent banking meltdown. 

While it may take a Phd from Harvard to understand the details of what happened to the collapse of two major US banks, the underlying notion remains true no matter what decade we are in.  Fear tends to push markets much more than any fundamental or technical mechanism. 

A year ago, most were fearing that Russian oil flows would cease and cause a worldwide disruption and price spike.  While in some instances it affected physical markets, the fear of it is what drove futures higher.  With large banks dancing on the Moral Hazard line (taking on excess risk with idea of being bailed out if it sours) and paying higher interest rates, it put fear into depositors and prompted massive amounts of withdrawals, a classic bank run.  This is prompting a much larger fear, the fear of Contagion, a Financial Covid, to put it into modern day terms. 

The good news is that the recent collapse presents some buying opportunities!  We stated prior that should we dip below the $2.65 on the front month, Q2 & Q3pricing may look appetizing for a portion of your needs.   All eyes will be on the FED and what they announce in the next meeting, more rate hikes or not?  Also look to see if OPEC+ decides to cut production to bolster prices in the coming weeks.  Don’t fear, DKB will be here.

3.16.23 screen

3.16.23 ulsd

 

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Futures Stay RangeBound, but Fed Hikes Threaten Demand Growth

Futures markets appear to be content with being rangebound as the last month has seen us bounce back and forth by about $.25 in Diesel.  The last four days has seen diesel futures fall almost $.15 in value. 

While the Distillate inventory report this week showed a slight gain of 200k barrels, the real news was in demand.  Distillate demand dipped about 8% from last week, which is down almost 23% from this time last year.  Demand and FED interest rate adjustments appear to be top of mind for most.  With the FED Chairman stating that recent economic data was stronger than expected, he alluded to the fact that more rate hikes will be necessary to calm inflation.  Traders took this as a sign that it will limit growth and subsequently, demand, thus the sell off. 

Still, outward diesel months are hovering around that $2.65 level we talk about, but even more interesting is that Backwardation (outer months being cheaper) has been all but erased for the second and third quarters. (see strip below)  As we transition back to summer diesel, the hope for most of us is a less volatile market.  Unfortunately, we have seen too many times a spike follow what appears to be a calm period for any number of fundamental or technical reasons.  Having a supplier versus a marketer is, and always has been, the best course of action in dealing with volatility.

 

3.9.23

 

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Market Searches for Range Amid Mixed News Signals

We are now a year removed from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and like many times in the past, we seemed to have made it through an extremely volatile period.  Since the onset of this “new normal” we have stressed the need to have a strong relationship with your supplier to help navigate the ever changing landscape.  Recall that we said the $2.65 level for the ULSD contract is a key support level, we have now hit that four times and bounced off it (see below) and the market is truly searching for direction with a $.25 range the last few weeks. 

A bevy of news is swaying the daily and intraday moves.  Russian price caps on crude sales, on the surface, appear to working as they continue to find more means of revenue to fund what looks to be a prolonged campaign.  Yesterdays Inventory report, while mixed, showed a staggering 22% increase in Crude exports over last week and almost 50% over last year.  All while adding 1.2mbls to our own inventory.  Many point to China as the main destination with their manufacturing activity exploding last month to levels not seen in over a decade.  Largely due to a catch up period from the removal of the zero tolerance COVID restrictions, the country is in need of any and all barrels. 

In the US, while our manufacturing activity slowed in FEB, it was less than expected and at its highest rate since OCT22, signaling rate hikes are working and brighter days to come.  This pushed markets higher even as Distillate inventories gained 200k bbls last week and demand was down over 14% from last year which is somewhat concerning.    

In what has been a fairly uneventful winter season, the Northeast is now in the midst of a cold snap with another round of snow expected in the coming days.  Winter diesel is still the safe approach as it is still available for the next week or so, be sure to contact your Rep for area specifics. 

3.2.23 ULSD

 

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ULSD Trading Range Tightens Up

While it might be hard to think about cold weather with temperatures in the 60s across the region, keep in mind that all too often, we still have an arctic blast come through late February into March.  Staying the course with a winterized fuel is critical to a smooth operation this time of year. 

A week ago we mentioned that when ULSD futures touched the 2.65 level we would likely see the market “re-evaluate” where we will go.  It has done exactly that, by trading in a modern day “tight” range of $.11 in the last several sessions.  A large crude build last week of 16.3 mbls put levels at almost a 2 year high, increases in gasoline  and a slight 1.3mbl loss in distillates are putting downward pressure on the entire market.  Strong retail sales, growing jobs, and increasing wage data is keeping inflation risk high.  This will likely cause another slight increase in rates by the FED, thus pushing commodities higher. 

One has to wonder if the increase in manufacturing and retail sales is more catch-up demand, as supply chain bottlenecks appear to be loosening.  Either way, we are walking that fine line, and the market will take some time to reassess.  This means it could be unlikely that we see large swings higher or lower for a period.  Again, demand on a world level will have a strong pull with pricing as Russia appears to be maneuvering around the price caps, selling product to the easiest outlet.  News is that new “component” export sanctions are being drafted that will limit raw materials from being shipped into Russia preventing them from build items like computers, machinery and weapons. 

Its been a slow retreat to “normal” levels and while I would like to think more is in store, we will likely take a sideways path to get there.

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Prices Continue to Soften as Shortage Fears Subside

Diesel futures continue to oscillate on both technical and fundamental influences.  We had mentioned to many, don't be surprised if the March contract touches the support level of $2.65 area when in it was trading above $3.25 in late January.  Low and behold on Monday it bounced off $2.6649 before jumping another $.20 over the next two sessions. 

It appears that warmer temps both here and in Europe (except for this past weekend) started the sell off as the fear of a product shortage for power generation is subsiding.  With OPEC+ agreeing to stick to current production levels, it casts doubt on what demand will really look like as China begins to reopen.  Presently it appears that their need wont be as much as anticipated. 

Domestically, we appear to be making strides on inventory increases with builds across the board yesterday.  Specifically with diesel, we rose 2.9mbls on the backs of strong imports, even with a 2% increase in demand. (partly attributed to power plant usage, as expected). I have said that should we touch the support level of $2.65, we would likely have to reset for a time and figure out where and what will drive the market.  Coming out of winter, we will need to keep a close eye on factors such as China’s demand, future interest rate adjustments, and domestic needs specifically on the transportation and construction side.  

There is still a tremendous amount of volatility within the day as double digit ranges from high to low are now the norm.  I would like to think we will see softer pricing over the next few weeks as the market tries to erase the backwardation that continues to linger.  (keep in mind the outer months are likely to not fall as much)

 

 

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Despite Volatility, Overall Market Continues Downward Trend

The wild ride continues as in just under two weeks, we have erased $.50 of value on the futures market.  Front month ULSD fell $.1937 yesterday setting us up for a test of key technical support levels. 

ULSD MAr 2023

As we thought, we are now firmly under the $3.00 mark, and eying more downside to follow.  Several news worthy factors pushed markets lower yesterday, none of which were attributed to Tom Brady’s retirement.   

The big news was the increase in inventories across the board yesterday with distillates adding 2.3mbl with exports falling slightly.  As we mentioned previously, the trend appears to be taking shape as physical markets in New York Harbor fell even more as supply becomes more available.  Additionally another small rate hike of 25 basis points by the FED appears to have put traders in a sell mode as inflation risk subsides. 

We always have to look at the off Broadway news to get a real pulse of the market.  Not widely reported on yet, the White House appears to be stepping back on drilling leases, as an agreement was made to allow a scaled down drilling plan on the Alaskan North Slope yesterday.  This is a big reversal from a previous stance which I would imagine kept the sell off going yesterday. 

Friday Weather Boston MA

Even the most severe cold air entering the Northeast in several years could not keep futures from taking a nose dive.  (see our update yesterday on best practices for your fleet).  Largely seen as a regional event, if power plants get curtailed this weekend, it will likely show up in draws next weeks inventories. 

Overall, it appears the our range is continuing to get lower, that is - when we spike, we don’t spike as high as the previous.  Q2 pricing is starting to look attractive again, but be sure to be in contact with your Rep as the markets are still extremely volatile.

 

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Inflation Premiums & Low Inventories Prop Prices Despite Demand Drop

Even though Diesel futures have fallen roughly $.20 in the last two days, we are still almost $.40 higher than the beginning of the month.  Still optimistic that we will considerably lower in the coming weeks, however.  

Demand appears to be the underlying factor that is keeping prices from continuing higher.  Yesterdays Inventory report showed that distillate demand was down 3% over last week and down a whopping 18% over last year.  We have mentioned many times that distillates demand, more precisely diesel demand, is often viewed as the pulse of the US economy.  An 18% drop in anything is a lot…. 

The question remains as to why are we still at such high price levels, relatively speaking.  I would like to say it is simply fear of the unknown, but that should only last so long.  The world seems to be adjusting to curtailed Russian product, and Russia appears to have found other markets just fine.  Granted, we have not seen extremely cold temperatures here or abroad.  However, Kerosene pricing has skyrocketed in the last few days pushing winterized diesel in some areas up almost $2.00 in a week.  Inventories remain low, but again, so is demand and the market backwardation persists. Costs of all other goods appear to be falling, or as some say “just not rising as fast” and unfortunately, it points to the oil markets still having inflation hedge premiums built in to the price.  That will take time to remove and still hope to see futures less than $3 soon. 

The ability to capitalize on the dips for the short term appears to be the prudent approach.  Talk with your Rep about seeing if this makes sense for your business.

1.26.23 ULSD

 

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Diesel Futures Rise, but Overall Trend Suggests Cooling

Diesel Futures have risen just over $.25 in the last week, for largely the same reason as they tanked the week before.  China is now lifting most Covid restrictions, as traders now see demand picking up on the world basket.  Even though we are still seeing huge weekly swings, the overall temperature of Distillates looks to be cooling off since trading some $.75 higher than presently mid summer (see below). 

Domestically, this week saw distillate demand still strong, which surprised some.  Still might be some residual power plant use feeding those demand numbers. With Crude showing a huge increase in stocks this week, gaining 19 mmbls, one would have guessed it would have set the whole market downward.  We mentioned that cold snaps, storms, and a pipeline reopening might need a week or two to shake out the inventories and traders took that to heart.  Signs of moderating inflation figures have some thinking the doom and gloom of a full blown, long term recession, might be over done and we are in for a “soft landing” or a purposeful slowing down of the economy. 

Futures are currently on the upswing of the curve, but again, the pattern suggests a sharp pull back.  The backwardation in diesel futures is still hanging around, actually widening in the last several sessions, making some suppliers keep a watchful eye on inventories.  As we work into the heart of the winter, don’t be surprised if outages of distillates pop up.  Again, a strong relationship with your supplier will keep your business running. 

jan 23 ulsd

 

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Volatility Continues in ULSD Market

Extreme volatility continues grip the futures markets as the USLD pit erased almost $.30 in the last two days.  Even though its up about $.05 currently, expect this sell off to continue for the short term. 

Much of the market has hinged on the anticipated rebound in global demand, largely centered around China.  After being basically cut off from the rest of the world for the last two years, signs were pointing to Covid restrictions and cases easing.  Those hopes took a gut punch Tuesday as reports surfaced that a surge in Covid cases has caused the country to basically halt their rollback of restrictions. 

Fundamentally, the market appears to be better supplied, which is also putting downward pressure on futures.   Physical markets are still seeing wide ranges in price action from one day to the next and some local outages are still popping up. The good news is that last weeks cold snap that pushed freezing temps into the heart of production country left little to no damage to refiners - lessons learned from the hard freeze a few years back. 

Demand spiked briefly last week as many power plants were forced to burn oil for a few days.  It will be interesting to see what inventories look like (which are due today, delayed a day for the holiday).  Keystone is operational, but will not be 100% for another few weeks so there will likely be some shaking out period with the numbers. 

Overall, it looks like we are starting another pull back which hopefully puts front month ULSD futures in the $2.70 range.

1.5.23 ULSD

 

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Intraday Swings Continue

Future pricing action continues to be as wild as a Patriots game ending, with the average swing intraday running over $.12 from high to low.  Yesterday’s bump higher in diesel was somewhat expected on the heels of three strong down days and a fair amount of market moving news on tap. 

First, it appears the damaged section of the Keystone Pipeline is fixed and testing runs are scheduled to take place in the next day or so, but full operation is still weeks out.  This is good news for Cushing to start to rebuild lost input in the last week. 

Secondly, a high profile visit to the White House and Congress by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy all but assured continued US backing of the non-NATO country in its efforts to stave off continued Russian advances.  Hard to interpret, as some have the sense now Ukraine can actually prevail in this, while others are viewing this as a very tight rope to walk supplying billions in aid and defense weapons, somewhat cornering Putin. 

Thirdly, Inventories showed a steep drop in crude of 5.9mbl (expected as we said last week the pipeline shutdown would show this week).  Gasoline showed a modest build of 2.5mbl but Diesel dipped for the first time in five weeks with a slight draw of just 300,000 bls.  The key driver yesterday appears to be that distillate demand is still healthy showing a 6.6% increase over last week.  Much of it appears to be attributed to the expected extreme cold taking hold of the middle part of the country and power plants stock up on alternate fuels.  Locally in the Northeast, supplies are getting better but still seeing a lot of just in time ship arrivals and kerosene pricing has eased but still at much higher values than previous years.  Hauling capacity looks to be the next hurdle facing region and should the extreme cold linger, it might get rough for some.  That strong supplier relationship we talk about will get you through the next several weeks. 

From all of us at Dennis K. Burke, Inc.  we wish you a very happy, healthy and safe Holiday season!

ULSD 12-22

 

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ULSD - Downside Potential Stalls on KS Spill

The Market giveth and the Market taketh. 

After falling over $.50 last week, front month ULSD has risen almost $.50 this week.  Gains were primarily on the heels of the Keystone pipeline leak that spewed 14,000 bbls (588,000g) of crude into Northeast Kansas late last week, prompting Operator TC Energy to shut down the entire pipeline.  Main note on why this is significant, is that this leg of the pipeline runs to Cushing, Oklahoma which is the primary metric for weekly Inventories.  As of this morning, product has since started to flow but still not through the damaged section which may take weeks to repair. 

Again, the fear buying of future products has pushed ULSD almost to where we were at the beginning of the month.  The spill froze any downside potential in the pits with this week’s builds in inventory yet again.  While Crude showed almost a 10mbl increase, expect that to be erased next week with little to no product flowing into Cushing. Distillates gained roughly 2mbl, still well below the 5 year average.   Oddly, demand still seems robust, specifically for diesel which again is helping to push prices higher. 

We said volatility will remain in the short term as fuel markets continue to search for a comfortable range.  I would have to believe (hope) that it is under the $3 handle for the front month.  The good news is that it appears Kero is relaxing somewhat, making winter operability cost at least palatable, relatively speaking.  Kero has come down by over $1 in the last several sessions. 

The "Price Cap" for Russian crude is somewhat confusing as to the effect or outcome it will ultimately have, as Product is very rarely traded on a fixed number, more often traded on formulas or differentials to a benchmark, so again time will tell if there is any real net impact. 

As the cold weather starts to move in, again we can not stress enough to have conversations with Suppliers on product blends, operability and availability.  Looks like we may be in store for a wild winter.

ulsd 12.15

 

 

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ULSD Cash Markets Correct & Backwardation Cools

A few weeks ago we hoped to see ULSD trading $.50 lower, as the cash market was tumbling at warp speed.  And would you look at that, here we are! Much of those losses have come from the last 5 sessions alone. (see chart below). 

At the same time we have seen the market backwardation almost get erased.  Suppliers should be more willing to put product in tank versus working hand to mouth.  The JAN to FEB spread is now a mere $.01, it wasn’t long ago that is was over $1.00, and the summer months are all but flat.  So, cash prices have corrected, Futures prices have collapsed (again) and the backwardation is going away!  Great News!…. Let’s not break a piñata just yet. 

Inventories reported large distillate and gasoline builds, both in the range of 6mbls with exports of finished product dropping as well.  Again, what we said needed to happen.  The JAN screen is about $.17 higher than pre Ukraine invasion, and about $.70 higher than a year ago.  The key is that it appears that demand is starting to slow, be it from rate hikes (intended to slow inflation) or higher costs all around, most point out that next year will be soft in terms of demand and spending in general. The goal now is to normalize and hopefully not get too deep into a recession that could take years to recover.

OPEC is staying the course on production levels, China COVID fears are also hitting demand on a world level. The Russian Oil cap of $60 per barrel is still playing out.  Going into effect on the 5th, the G7 measure aims to limit that what Russia can profit from their crude and subsequently curtail the money needed to sustain a Ukrainian takeover.  However, non G7 nations such as China and India are already taking additional vessels of Russian product, so the net result remains to be seen.  Point being is that there is a fair amount of fundamental variables out there that will continue to weigh heavy on the pricing of product. 

Kerosene is still very scarce across the region and cash values are still almost $3 higher than diesel thus prices will remain higher in comparison for much of the winter.   Buy the rumor, sell the fact is the old saying. I don’t see that going away anytime soon, we just may be at a new normal when it comes to pricing, thankfully much less than we have seen in the last few months.

ULSD 12.8

 

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Diesel Cash Spreads Normalizing, but Kero Concerns Lurk Ahead

Hope’s not a four letter word, although, probably not the best strategy in the fuel business. 

Two weeks ago we had said that hopefully we see pricing top out as supply appeared to be moving into the Northeast.  That looks to be occurring, as cash values have dropped at twice the speed of futures and almost catching up to normal spreads. (see below).  

On 11.9.22, cash prices were $1.20 higher than futures, as of today they are $.0150 higher.  This means that diesel product is being shipped, getting purchased, and somewhat loosening the supply constraints for some.  Thus the reason you have seen your prices fall so dramatically the last few weeks.  However, supplies do remain tight as the backwardation persists, limiting some Suppliers from taking product in tank along with an uneasy feeling on demand over the next few weeks. 

The other elephant in the room is Kerosene, which is in extremely tight supply throughout the region.  A niche product used primarily in the Northeast and Central US for outdoor heating and road fuel winterization is still seeing record high prices as many try to source gallons. 

As I have discussed with many of you in the last few months, diesel-kero blends for winter operability purposes will be high relative to years past.  

With Crude pricing falling to 10 month lows this week capturing much of the headlines and rumors of an OPEC+ production increase (albeit quickly dismissed) swaying markets somewhat, the real focus should remain on Distillate pricing.  Again, the volatility looks to stay in place until the forward months level out and we see how the Russian price cap plays out that is due to take effect on 12.5.22.  It was just in late September that ULSD traded roughly $.50 lower than present.  Still hope.   

As always, the Team at Dennis K. Burke is here to assist and answer any questions you have.  Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving.

 

ULSD Cash vs Nymex 11.24.22

 

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PADD1 Inventory Fears Keep Pressure on Suppliers

padd1

I’ve been away…..any talk about diesel supply? 

News cycles have jumped all over the fear topic of only 25 days of supply of distillates in the Northeast.  It is true that PADD1 distillate Inventories are well below the five year average and PADD1A (New England) is even more tight, however, it is important to understand the term “days of supply”.  That is defined as if everything stopped today.  No production, no pipeline shipments, no vessels, no trucking and we kept using as much distillates as we are at this very moment.  Slightly different than how it can be perceived by watching a news clip. 

Distillate inventories were actually slightly up this week as exports fell by some 300k barrels per day, although our inventories are still some 20mbl below last year.  Key to yesterdays inventory report was that refinery utilization (production) is running at 91% which is up over 4% versus last year and historically this is a high rate.

So what does all this mean?   

For many years, having supply contracts was the standard in the fuel business.  As time went on, predominantly in gasoline, this shifted to suppliers selling excess gallons at the going price, commonly referred to as “rack” gallons.  Because there is very little excess product, the rack marketer is put on the sideline while the contracted supplier keeps companies rolling. 

Future pricing turned positive yesterday on the draw of Crude stocks (makes sense because of the high production rate) and the FED adding another 75 point basis hike to key rates.   Cash values turned negative as there are some rumblings that we actually may see a release of finished product into the northeast in the next week or so.  While this is a temporary measure, it could loosen up for just enough time.  Look for price action to remain volatile over the next few weeks with hopefully a trend to the downside.

ulsd dec1

 

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Distillate Inventory Concerns Persist, Particularly in New England

We have been saying for several weeks that the distillate inventory picture is not the brightest, even more so in New England.  The news cycle has taken hold of this, and judging by the number of calls and conversations I’ve had in the last week, it is starting to sink in. 

We currently sit about 20 million barrels below last year of distillate inventory.  The chart below shows a five year picture and very infrequently would we dip below 120mbl of storage.

inventory chart

With winter approaching, and New England the primary consumer of Heating Oil, the fear is there will not be enough to go around should there be an extended period of cold.  Moreover, if power plants get curtailed from using Natural gas, the alternative source is diesel fuel. 

Courtesy of NEFI, the winter temperature outlook shows the Northeast to be in the third year of a La Nina pattern and that typically means a warmer than average season ahead of us, albeit with a colder December to start. 

weather chart

Exports of Distillates continue to be robust, as we are sending about 1.2mbl per day overseas.  Last week we mentioned that quick relief might come in the way of releasing finished product reserves into the market instead of unfinished crude.  That has fallen by the wayside over the last several days, as this is a market condition and not a physical event, like the last release during Super Storm Sandy. 

Government officials have been quoted as saying “nothing is off the table” in terms of a solution and we have now seen another idea floated which on the surface makes sense.  It has been suggested to relax the sulfur specification on distillates to allow shuddered refining equipment to come back online, thus boosting production and requiring products to remain domestically. 

Years ago, refiners chose not to invest into units in order to produce the ultra low sulfur products we use today (15ppm vs 500ppm).  Opponents say that the turn around time would be too long, and not the quick fix we need. 

Price action continues to be extremely volatile, and I would expect that to stay through the end of the year as the backwardation in the market remains, limiting any excess or “rack” gallons to be available.  Again, having a supplier with a redundancy of contracted supply options and the means to get you product will get you over this hump and better positioned in the future.

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Cash vs Future Spread & Precarious Supply Picture Keeping Diesel Users on Edge

Many refer to Diesel as being the backbone of the American Economy.  Trucks, trains, equipment, and ships all rely upon diesel for power.  So when a blowout happens, it can affect mostly all aspects of our daily lives - from the food we buy, to the clothes we wear, and even the way we operate our businesses, even if those blowouts are short lived. 

Since last Thursday we have seen the spread between future prices and cash prices grow to $.80 on Monday only to subsequently fall to $.55 yesterday.  (see chart below).  Tuesday and Wednesday saw diesel values weaken as deals appeared to be getting done for physical product delivered into New York Harbor. 

The Northeast continues to see distillate inventories hover around precariously low levels as a new round of SPR releases were announced this morning.  This appears to be the path that Government Officials want to take but some don’t believe it to working for us New Englanders and distillate users, although Crude and Gasoline are relatively stable.  Rather than releasing crude, some suggest releasing finished diesel reserves to calm markets as the backlog in the refining process and subsequently exporting the finished goods at a higher rate than selling domestically is only prolonging the recovery process.  Capping or limiting exports looks to be off the table as it could throw global markets into a spiral and appears to be Politically too risky.   

While Heat and Diesel values appear to be correcting (knock on wood!) we are still almost $1 higher than the beginning of the month.  I would expect the next several days to be very choppy in terms of prices.  Today as an example ULSD started down over $.04 and at present is up almost $.02, not even taking into account what cash markets will actually do.  I cannot stress enough how important it is, and will be, to have a strong relationship with your supplier during these times.  Having various contracted supply points, along with the ability to get you product, will likely be a defining characteristic over the next several months.

Cash vs Futures

 

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Cash vs NYMEX Blowout on Supply Concerns Keeps Diesel Elevated

If there is one thing that I am sure of in all my years in this Industry it is that Customers do not like surprises

The last two weeks (or two years for that matter!) have certainly offered up many surprises.  News over the last three days has highlighted “Crude prices falling”, however, the disconnect from Crude pricing to the finished diesel product pricing has never been more sharply contrasted. Front month Diesel futures have once again skyrocketed $.80 to touch the $4.00 level in the last two weeks for the fifth time.  The rapid rise and rapid drop cycle doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon. 

The big surprises have come in the way of Cash Diesel prices rising more than futures.  As illustrated above, diesel cash values have blown out over $.50 over futures values.  The month prior they were practically even, and historically they tend to only be a few cents apart.  So why?  

Realistic concerns over product shortages in New York Harbor hit the market in the last several days as not many offers were taken on barges. What that means is that product is still moving overseas versus into US ports, thus slowing resupply and pushing up pricing for any product already in tank.  Cash markets move racks more than futures do, although most only look at the NYMEX as the driver. These types of cash to screen blowouts are historically short lived. (We can only hope this is not another “historic” trend change, I think we can all agree that we’re tired of those).

Be sure your Supplier has adequate, guaranteed supply and the ability to get product to you as the fewer the surprises you have, the better.

 

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Hurricanes, Inventory & Nord Stream Concerns Keep Diesel Volatile

Volatility continues to have a hold on the diesel market.  In the past week alone, we have dropped over $.30 and subsequently rose $.30 in just four sessions. 

There is always a hurricane premium laid into the market once storms reach the gulf.  Reality is that less than 10% of the Gulf Region Production was pulled offline in the last few days and most are back online at this point.  However, as the storm moves on, your will see a rolling port closure effect as it moves up the close which likely will cause regional increases in the next day or so.  

Inventories showed draws across the board this week with much of the same import- export spreads while some real focus was put on demand figures being stronger.  For diesel much of the increase can be attributed to the fall harvest that typically happens this time of year throughout the country.  Still, it gave traders a reason to buy over the last wo days. 

Concerning news on several “leaks” on the NORAD Stream gas pipeline that feeds much of Europe from Russia, as the issue now appears to deliberate in nature.  This could force shipments of US product overseas for the foreseeable future and keep prices elevated. 

Other bullish tidbits came in the way of Senator Manchin pulling his Fastrack Energy Permit Plan in order to prevent a Government Shutdown.  This was seen as a bright light to many in the Industry a few weeks ago.  Two up days doesn’t necessarily break the trend, but its hard to comprehend when they erase the losses we all were so happy to see. 

 

 

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Fundamentals Continue to Push Futures Around

If you were to read the news, it is almost impossible to tell which way the Oil markets are going as the volatility has all pits in wild daily swings.  Fortunately for most of us, diesel prices have corrected over $.30 in the last three days and all but erased the early August climb. 

Demand, Economy, and Inventory are the fundamentals that continue to push futures around.  Reports from the IEA on worldwide demand “coming to a halt” in the fourth quarter due to slowing global economies and continued lockdowns in China rippled through the market yesterday along with interesting Inventory news.  Demand right now sits at its lowest point since JAN21.   

Shown below, gas stocks fell to a 10 month low, but was taken lightly as it is typical this time of year as we switch seasonal grades.  The bearish news came with Distillates building for a third week in a row, albeit still 12% off from a year ago.  Unfortunately for us in the Northeast, our stocks fell by 3%.   Exports of distillates finally fell last week but again they are a staggering 83% higher than last year. With the FED poised to make another 75 basis point rate hike, most anticipate the collateral damage to be demand.  Thus fueling sell off. 

This summers price action is truly one for the record books.  Since May, ULSD has gone up $1, down $1, Up $1 and down $1.  Remember the days that if the market moved $.01 you had  a meeting to figure out what to do?   

Having a good relationship with your supplier is critical during these times.  While it is impossible to predict what the pits will do, its always best to at least know what is happening.

 

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Volatility Continues with Economic Concerns, Export Increases

In the last 6 sessions we have seen ULSD futures slide just over $.50 in value.  While this is good news, the previous 6 sessions added just about the same amount. So basically we are back to the same levels we were mid-August where we all felt pretty positive pricing was moving in the right direction. Much of the rise can be attributed to money being put into the market as an inflation hedge as rates continue to rise, though it is tough to keep that money in long term with the ever present backwardation. 

The slide the last week has come as demand concerns continue to make headlines and more currently China is again locking down several major cities with COVID concerns.  Yesterdays inventory report seemed Bullish on the surface with draws on all products but like anything, the devil is in the details.  Many saw the latest news cycle highlighting the possibility of fuel shortages coming this winter.  A good explanation shows in this weeks report.  Refiners are operating at pre-Pandemic levels, yet domestic inventories of finished products are still down- the key factor is that our exports of gas and distillates are up over 500m b/d over last year. 

Again, it is still better for companies to ship products overseas to get 5x the value than if it were to sell into the US markets.  Forcing US producers to sell into US markets versus formerly heavily Russian supplied countries may appear as abandonment in their time of need politically speaking, and moreover, will that force those countries to “amend” Russian import sanctions……thus it’s a delicate balance.  

The field seems to be mixed on the last few months of the year in where pricing will be headed although the common theme is that the volatility, up or down, is here for a while.

Sept 1 ULSD

 

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Inflation Reduction Act Helps Keep Downward Trend Intact

The past two weeks has seen ULSD rise, and subsequently fall almost $.20 on the front month.  Much of the dip in the last few days came as market players were able to digest some of the details in the 785 page Inflation Reduction Act which appears to moving its way through.  One piece which many believe will have the most impact on futures is that the bill revives lease sales canceled or delayed by President Biden including: one in Alaska’s Cook Inlet  and three in the Gulf of Mexico.  This section also appears to require the Biden Administration to adopt Trump era directives for 2022 oil and gas leasing established.

 Yesterday was clearly driven by inventories and demand concerns with gasoline.  However, distillates were the red headed step child, shrugging off any loses and actually finishing the day higher as demand numbers stayed healthy and inventories dipped.  Crude and gasoline took all the attention with a surprise build in crude and an almost 8mbpd drop in gasoline demand.  It’s really an odd disconnect but many of us actually see it on a daily basis.  Construction, trucking, etc remains strong but on a personal level we may be starting to pull back our own driving habits. 

An OPEC+ hike of 100,000 bpd is rather insignificant as they usually over produce or under produce by that much anyway.  Markets will always have bounces in either direction but often time the trend is still intact, and it appears the downward trend is still there. 

August 4 ULSD

 

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Despite Early Week Gains, the Trend is Still Your Friend on ULSD

With Friday and Mondays' sessions cutting into the recent losses on ULSD by about $.35, it’s important to keep in mind the trend is still your friend. With early morning action seeing ULSD down $.08, we are still down over $.80 in the last few weeks. 

Downward pressure continues on the pit with yesterday’s build across the board on crude and products, the Inventory report erased nearly all of the early morning gains.  Inventories are now almost to the low end of the 5 year average. 

The daily volatility in both gas and diesel makes it extremely difficult to provide quotes.  Shameless plug….  The DKB Exchange allows you to secure real time pricing on product…..   Yesterday, ULSD was up almost $.11 at one point and down over $.05 before closing up marginally $.0033 to $3.6659.   

Inflation is now at a 40 year high, which also posed concerns as its widely expected we will see another rate hike by the FED, which will likely pressure demand and continue to push futures down.  This time of year we always have to keep in mind NOAA hurricane estimates, and with an “above Normal” estimate in place with 14-21 named storms for this season, there could be some storm premiums shed in the market if this does not materialize.   Supplies of finished product still remain tight in areas with the backwardation not going away, albeit getting smaller. 

The hope is, that in the next 60 days or so we get back to normal spreads.

 

7-14 ULSD

 

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Energy Prices Improve as Other Economic Indicators Worsen

In just over two weeks time, front month ULSD is down $1.00, with over $.50 coming in the last two sessions alone. 

It appears that many decided over the long holiday weekend that there is a real concern of a global recession on the horizon.  The economic contraction would ultimately be a demand killer.  Funny thing about recessions is that we are typically in them for a quarter prior to actually labeling it officially.  A recent GDP tracker indicated that the US contracted 2.1% in Q2.  Adding a Citibank forecast posted Tuesday putting WTI Crude trading in the $65 range by years end should a recession take hold.  Currently WTI is just under $100 at $99.41. This along with a surprise build in crude inventories of 3.8mbls pushed all products sharply lower yesterday despite larger than expected draws in both gas and distillates. 

The question remains if the fundamentals in the fuel markets still exist or if this is merely a speculative long position fear sell off.  As we mentioned earlier, domestically, we have the crude.  However, we lack the ability to transport and refine it quickly.  This fear/reality is what was primarily responsible for this years rise.  Shortages were and are real, but they appear to be getting better.  The backwardation prevented many from putting any finished product in tank for fear of overnight value losses.  The backwardation in ULSD still exists but is only about $.05 month to month, at one point it was over .$30. 

The good news bad news appears to be what is coming, we should see lower energy prices and more product available, but other economic indicators will likely suffer. 

7.7.22 ULSD

 

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Prices continue upward; high costs fail to derail consumer demand

Over the last 2 weeks front month ULSD has risen almost $.80  in futures trading,  but it looks like the driver of the run up maybe that crazy cousin RBOB.  Gasoline typically rises this time of year but many thought this year would be different.  Sky high retail prices and massive inflation concerns were thought to put a dent on demand.  However, this weeks inventory report showed a surprise draw in gasoline stocks and strong demand numbers.  It may be a holiday weekend anomaly, but Americans appear to be taking it all in stride, thus giving buyers no reason not to keep buying. 

Diesel has been the passenger the last two weeks.   With a surprise build in inventories (still lowest levels since 2005), most believe it would take a substantially large increase to derail the upward trend.  Demand numbers started to show softening, which is concerning to many, as it may start to show some slowing in the US business cycles. 

While OPEC agreed to hike production for July & August by about 600bpd and China put the kibosh on fully reopening major cities, futures shrugged it off as we have only had 2 down days in the last 14 sessions.  Physical supply issues in the Northeast is still a lingering concern as the backwardation, while thinning, is still $.10  to AUG and $.18 to SEPT (see close chart).  This is preventing many from bringing in large slugs of product on fear of the carry loss.  Put it this way.  If you were to buy a house today for $500,000 but were told that in 20 days it would only be worth $400,000, would you do it? 

At this point, it appears that the only thing that will bring us back to reasonable levels is strong builds in inventories which will only come with a reduction in the backwardation which will likely occur with weakening demand.  And let us not forget the Ukraine and export situation.

 

 

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Diesel remains Volatile at the Rack, Despite some Supply & Market Easing

Diesel prices remain the talk of the table as they have shed over $1.00 in the last 15 days.  Spot cash prices which at one point in early May were $1.25 over futures have since retraced to be roughly $.20 over.   Still, by way of comparison, high to the first quarter of the year where they were pegged mostly flat  to the screen.   (see below). 

As we mentioned, these blowouts are typically short lived - but nonetheless still very painful for many. 

Northeast diesel supply appears to be slowly loosening up as the backwardation from JUNE to JULY screens sits at roughly $.13, still very high but not as high as a two weeks ago.  While some suppliers are willing to take in product, it has made rack pricing extremely volatile.  Typical spreads from high to low are maybe $.08 to $.10, at present, these spreads are $.40 to $1.00, not to mention figuring out who actually has product to sell.  On que, refiners' distillate production is up over 5% thus far in Q2, capitalizing on the high prices and pipeline scheduling appears to be full.  While this a good news for consumers, we are still at very high prices. 

With China slowly reopening, expected high US gas demand and all eyes on the FED wondering if there will be another rate hike to tame inflation, I would expect it to be a while before we start to see substantially lower prices. 

The suggested release of diesel reserves is not typically looked at as a fix of underlying issues, more of like taking aspirin for a tooth ache, and will likely not have much of an effect on pricing. 

5.24.22

 

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Northeasts' Diesel Supply Crunch Keeps Price Pressure Up

There is a fair amount of news on the lack of diesel available in the northeast, and it is actually true. Last week’s DOE report showed that PADD 1 (East Coast) had 95mbls of diesel, that is down from 123mbls last year and 142mbls from 2 years ago. 

The question is why? 

There are primarily three main roots to the current situation.  First, the East Coast has only about 7 refineries operating now, with a capacity of just over 800,000 bpd.  That is about half from what it was 12 years ago.  Most have closed due to lack of margins and increasingly more difficult EPA standards to meet and the costs associated with those updates.  This means product must come from the Gulf coast via the Colonial pipeline or barged in. 

Secondly, with the steep backwardation in the market, many traders were not willing to take the chance on sending product into the Northeast. Rather, they are taking the sure bet by shipping distillates to Europe. 

Finally, Europe’s diesel based economy is seeing astronomical pricing for the much needed product.   With about 10% of their typical supply coming from Russia, the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine is pushing pricing for distillate barrels to record highs. 

Again, we know refiners are putting out as much distillates as they can right now.  There will be some trying to capitalize on the current high prices and once those barrels hit, we should see some price easing.  It is just a matter of when.

 

5-16 ulsd

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Volatility on Diesel Keeps Everyone Scrambling

The volatility within the ULSD pit continues to keep everyone scrambling.  $.20 swings from high to low have become the norm.  That coupled the lack of product in the Northeast is putting real stress on not only suppliers but customers alike.  As we mentioned a few days ago, refiners are stocking up on crude and producing as much distillates as they can.  Evident in yesterdays Inventory report that showed Crude surge 8.5mbls and distillate output up over 160,000 bpd.  While diesel inventories still remain low, down almost 1mbls, the demand numbers, down almost 200bpd are pointing to sure fire demand destruction. 

Again, the timing of when that downward drop may take hold is tough to tell.  Judging by the chart below, we may already be at the beginning stages of it.  The backwardation of roughly .20 JUNE to JULY is still keeping many from bringing in any inventory which is keeping cash prices high.  Those differentials, at historic highs, really have only one way to go I would like to think. 

Most of us are hoping to wake up to pit that is down $.50 but it seems that the market is always able to find something to erase the losses.  Today is a perfect example.  ULSD was down almost .20 earlier and found a way to get almost .04 higher during the session.  As I type it is down roughly $.04.  Inflationary risk buying appears to be the driver, which I would have though that we would have seen less of as last month’s squeeze that sent shockwaves through the market with lingering effects. 

We are working day and night to maintain our service standards and product levels.  Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.

 

Thu 5-12

 

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High Prices are the Cure for High Prices?

The other day I mentioned how the futures markets rose, yet the cash markets fell.  Yesterday was the reverse for some.  While ULSD futures closed down $.1557 to $4.0413, ARGUS cash trading edged up .0193.  We are obviously in the most volatile period I have seen in all my years.  

Of note in the last day we have heard that OPEC+ nations will stick to their planned production increases that were set in place back in July 2021 rather than opening the spigots to temper prices.  Additionally, it appears as though most European nations will move forward with a stepped embargo plan of Russian fuels. 

The backwardation in the diesel pit over the last two weeks put crimp on in tank inventories especially here in the Northeast.  That situation appears to be getting better as the JUNE to JULY backward spread is roughly $.20 and word is that the supply picture is getting better.  But again, when prices shoot up like a rocket, they fall like a feather.  It will take some time for these prices to get back to a “normal” level as it noted that most refiners have moved to what is called Max Distillate Production,  meaning they are trying to produce the most Diesel, Jet Fuel, Heating oil, etc. possible, so that they can capitalize on the high crack spread. 

We have said many times before, high prices are the cure for high prices. 

As you have all now seen street diesel prices over $6 per gallon, this has to be a hit on demand in the short term and those extra distillate barrels should hit the market at the same time.  I would like to see us retrace a $1.00 from here, but my guess is that it might take the summer to do so. Then again, as shown below on March 9th we did drop almost .50 in a day.  I would think we would need a cease fire in Ukraine for that to occur.

ULSD MAy 6

 

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ULSD Continues to Skyrocket on Short Squeeze

Unfortunately you are all reading your nightly pricing correctly.  As seen below, ULSD prices have risen almost a full $1 in the last four sessions. 

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As I mentioned earlier in the week, it is likely due to a short squeeze versus anything fundamentally related to the Oil Markets.  Although there are some pointing to distillate stocks being at their lowest level in 14 years as a driver, it appears that is being over played because demand for ULSD has fallen for the fifth week in a row. 

Front month MAY ULSD (which falls off the board Friday) is a full $1 higher than JUNE trading presently at $4.9950.  It is $1.50 higher than front moth NL @ $3.5250.  Its important to note the disconnect to Crude which is “only” at $103 and change.  For those of you that remember July of 2008, when Crude was at an all time high of $147, Diesel was trading just above $4.00.  All the more evidence to point towards a squeeze versus fundamental factors. 

The problem is, how long does this last?   Looking at the strip above, the backwardation is still healthy out through December, not as pronounced but still present. 

I would like to say that we are past this after Friday, but my feeling is the rocket ship-feather theory will hold true. 

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News & Fundamentals Reverse ULSD Slide

On Tuesday morning we were feeling pretty good, relatively speaking, as the ULSD pit was almost .40 less than a week ago.   Demand concerns over China’s lockdown and slowing production rates put pressure on an already inflated market. 

Unfortunately, in the last two session we have gained all that back and then some.   News flow is the clear driver, although fundamentals gave support for yesterdays jump.  As fears of no end in sight for the conflict in Ukraine heighten, it forces NATO countries to impose stricter sanctions on Russia - even floating the dreaded “embargo” word around.  Additionally, OPEC stated it does not intend to increase output to offset any Russian barrels in the marketplace. 

Fundamentally speaking, Wednesdays inventory broke a cardinal rule for traders…. Don’t surprise them.  

Expectations for gasoline were for a 800,000 bl draw with a 3.6mbl draw being reported.  Distillates were expected to fall 1.5mbl and that doubled with a 2.9mbl draw on inventory.  Keep in mind, we typically see a destocking period this time of year due to product changes.  It doesn’t appear that domestically there will be any policy changes that could calm the market. 

Looking forward, as you can see from the chart below, are a full $1.00 higher than where we should be.  It certainly is a challenge for all dealing with these prices, as it affects every part of your business. But as we have seen in the past, this market has the ability to pivot at any time and we could very well see another .50 down day.

4.14 ULSD

 

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Wild Intraday Swings on ULSD

The last three sessions have seen .4373 get peeled off the ULSD front month contract, with massive intraday swings.  Yesterday at the open, APR22 ULSD fell almost .25 before rallying back to finish down only .0673. 

The big drop on Monday was attributed to China locking down Shanghai amid new outbreaks for a minimum of four days thus putting demand fears into the market.  Tuesday saw traders take into account that there appeared to be progress in peace talks amongst Ukrainian and Russian delegates, but that subsided as the day went on.  This morning that sentiment furthered as it appeared there was nothing to report on the situation other than both sides would agree to meet again.  It is clear that many sanctions that have been put in place, may have a longer stay even if there is a withdrawal.

Pricing is wild right now, cash markets are making it even more challenging. 

The Chart below doesn’t do much other than confirm Warren Buffett’s take “that if you flip it over, it says the same thing.” 

With Demand appearing to take a hit in this week’s DOE report, and subsequently Inventory rising, products have come off there morning highs by about .15 and are only up about .04 at present.  On a positive note, most OPEC nations have come out and stated the they would not let Politics get in the way of production levels, which may calm supply fears, evident in the .32 backwardation APR to MAY.

ULSD 3.30.22

 

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March Comes in Like a Lion -ULSD See-Saws on Russia, Inventories

March came in like a lion, lets hope it goes out like a lamb…..  

So far this month, front month Diesel shot up over $1.80 to peak just above $4.60, then proceeded to fall $1.60 to just under $3.00 and now has risen back over $1.00 to be currently trading just north of $4.00.  What’s even more wild are the intraday swings.  Believe it or not, yesterday morning we were actually negative for a bit earlier in the session before finishing up over .25 on the day.  Today is opposite thus far, being up almost .10 early on, and now trading down .04. 

Obviously the Russian invasion is still the main catalyst for the rise, as fears linger that the US does not have a quick enough reaction time, or a plan in place to domestically produce more should this conflict linger.  Unfortunately, politics are weighing in on some rational decisions.  Many sanctions put in place have special caveats carving out energy like todays joint action from the European Union to date has carved out sanctions exemptions to allow continued imports of natural gas and oil from Russia, given the difficulty and expense of quickly finding alternative supplies “  Yesterdays big rise was after the weekly inventory report that showed large draws in all products, again not fundamentally tied to any Russian sourced product, just the fear of our inability to react. 

I am asked 50 times a day, What is going to happen? I honestly wish I knew, but what I can say that from a business perspective is that you need to be nimble and able to pivot. While I doubt this is going to be the new normal and will likely short lived, the effects of these records prices are going to linger for some time.

Market Screen 3.24.22

 

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No, You Read that Right: ULSD Futures up .80 in 5 Sessions on Ukraine

What you are seeing on your nightly pricing is real, unfortunately.  ULSD futures have risen over .80 in just 5 sessions.  Since late November 2021, when the concern of the latest Covid Variant were announced, the pit has risen over $1.65. 

As we all know that leading driver is the uncertainty surrounding the Russian- Ukrainian ordeal.  Financial Sanctions on Russian assets, banning imports, along with OPEC+ group not willing to increase production has attributed to the fear spike in the markets. 

There is a bright side. 

Front Month ULSD is presently trading at the $3.60 level… however, if you look at the outer months, such as JUL & AUG, they are in the $3.00 range.  This is a .60 backwardation in the market.  In all my years, which has seen Hurricanes, Wars, Attacks on US Soil, I have never seen this large of a backwardation.  As we all know, there is typically a “carry” in the markets where outer months are typically higher.  This is a very good indication that we are in a short term situation.  Its just a matter of getting through this.  I am sure we are sick of the phrase “WHEN THIS IS OVER”! but....

Below you can see the live market chart along with last nights settle highlighting the backwardation.

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Russian Strikes in Ukraine Push Prices to Multiyear Highs

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Oil prices surged another 7% today. At peak intraday highs, WTI hit $105.14/bbl before settling at $103.41.

Refined products followed suit skyward, with front month ULSD up +.2198 to $3.1511, and RBOB up .1562 to $3.0887 (May trading closed +.1915, $3.0381 ULSD/+.1532 $3.0621 RBOB).

Monday we saw WTI close over $100/bbl for the first time since 2014.

The obvious driver for the spiking prices we’ve been seeing has been the ongoing military strikes in Ukraine by Russia, and the resultant fears of not just supply disruptions themselves, but the further impacts that multinational involvement in the conflict could have globally.

Today, the US and allies (Germany, the UK, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, and South Korea) announced their agreement to release 60 million barrels from strategic reserves, half of which will come from the United States.

Markets were not comforted much by the announcement (although we did see a slight tempering), largely because the strategic reserve release is much more a symbolic gesture than one that solves supply concerns on a fundamental level.

A multinational agreement to release gallons is more of a statement of solidarity against what is seen as Russian aggression, and a message that countries are willing to take extraordinary measures to prevent global impacts rather than softening their stance on Ukraine. It’s also meant to reassure citizens of allied countries that are facing rapidly increasing prices at the pump that all available measures are being taken to minimize the impact. Currently AAA figures have gas prices in the US averaging $3.62 today, up 9 cents this week and 24 this month, and without a reversal on the markets and an end to the Russia-Ukraine war, that’s not likely to change.

Other measures being taken on the Energy Market side of things have included talks with the Saudis about supply adjustments to backfill any potential shortfalls. It’s unclear that such a jump in production for stability of the markets would be in the cards, however. The thought seems to be that assistance from OPEC/Saudi countries to offset disruption would mostly be necessary should Russia choose to restrict supply or short commitments in an attempt to manipulate the situation. As of right now, they have not given any indication that would be their next move, but as sanctions begin to take severe effect on the Russian economy, essentially anything is possible.

Sanctions and specific company withdrawals from Russia seem to be having impact already on some fronts. Maersk, the worlds largest shipping firm, has halted service to and from Russia, and countries like Britain are not accepting Russian ships at their ports. Major oil companies, including BP and Shell are exiting Russian operations, and TotalEnergies announced a halt to any further capital investment in Russian projects. The Ruble (Russian currency) is tanking after SWIFT banking sanctions took effect and it is currently valued at less than a penny in American dollars.

Long story longer, the situation is very much ongoing, escalating, and uncertain on the ground in Russia, and it remains anyone’s guess how the real world impacts and the market impacts will shake out.

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Energy Markets Spike on Escalation in Ukraine

shutterstock_1009265824Oil prices closed up over 3% today, shooting up again on both continuing supply issues, and escalating tension at the Russia/Ukraine border.

This week we saw Russia reject NATO & US offered compromise measures aimed at deescalating the situation. Subsequently, it was announced that extremely strict sanctions would be imposed by NATO allies should Russia use the troops they continue to ramp up at the border to make an actual physical strike on Ukraine.

Sanctions mentioned included both bans on financial transactions, and potential closing of the newly constructed Natural Gas pipeline to Germany. (As we saw when the prior Russia/Ukraine issues occurred in 2014, the implementation of sanctions can ultimately end up its own conflict down the line, but that’s another story for another day).

Putin Administration officials continue to insist that Russia has no intention of striking Ukraine, while simultaneously increasing troop presence across multiple possible fronts. Thus –anxiety is building.

Trading volumes hit peaks shortly before the closing bell, presumably some of the jump in pricing during that period is Friday afternoon related – no one wants to be short Monday morning should an invasion happen over the weekend that could impact supplies, understandably. However, should an invasion NOT happen this weekend (which is equally likely) we could see modest corrections early next week.

At the close, Brent and WTI Crude both broke the highs we saw Monday (that we hadn’t previously seen since 2014). Brent closed 3.3% higher at $94.44/bbl, and WTI shot up 3.6% to $93.10/bbl. Refined products closed up sharply as well, front month ULSD jumped .0837 to $2.9109, RBOB jumped .0732 to $2.7386. (April trading moved just as sharply, +.0755 on ULSD, +.0812 on RBOB.)

As discussed previously regarding Russia, the risk posed to the overall global supply picture should disruptions occur in their region is hard to overstate. (Refresher on that here: WTI Breaks 90/bbl for first time since 2014)

Definitely a situation to keep an eye on, as it will likely continue to rattle energy markets until some sort of resolution is found. Watch for either a correction or a ramp up in pricing early next week, likely dependent on the developments this weekend.

Stay Tuned!!

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WTI Breaks $90/bbl for First Time Since 2014

shutterstock_1740797837Today saw WTI Crude prices break the $90/barrel threshold for the first time since 2014.

2022 has seen WTI shoot up 20% (despite it still being the first week of February), and that’s in addition to the gain of 50% in value we saw throughout the course of 2021.

So what’s going on?

At the OPEC+ meeting Wednesday, the group announced they would be adding 400K bpd to agreed upon production levels for March, continuing their apparent strategy to slowly bring production back online.

If you recall, in April 2020 OPEC+ pulled around 10 million bpd from production in an effort to “stem the bleeding” as energy markets collapsed due to demand plummeting across the globe in the wake of sudden shutdowns for the coronavirus pandemic.

The initial OPEC+ strategy to slowly bring production back online to keep energy markets balanced appeared wise at the time, but in the wake of global economic struggles and skyrocketing prices, the group has come under enormous pressure and criticism from non-member nations, including the U.S.

Domestically, we have seen prices shoot up over the past several months in the wake of global economic concerns, growing tensions abroad, and changes to the domestic energy policy enacted by the incoming Biden Administration in January 2021.

The feeling in the U.S. is that OPEC+ needs to revise the slow and steady approach given the current circumstances in the energy market. OPEC accounts for 40% of global oil supply, so the consensus outside the group is that reupping production levels would take a lot of the pressure off markets and allow prices to settle.

In 2014, when we saw prices hit these levels before, the United States was in the midst of its fracking & shale production heyday and had become a major price influencer, having overtaken Russia & Saudi Arabia as the largest single oil producing nation. That was an enormous factor in stabilizing prices, and subsequently pushing global prices down. (For a refresher on that, read this: Fuel Marketers News: This Time it is Different )

Currently, moratoriums on drilling and financial and permitting difficulties for existent producers post the COVID price crashes are making the US essentially unable to exert the same control this time around. 

In addition to the already existent demand crunch, growing tensions and war games between Russia and Ukraine are raising fears of additional, and potentially severe, supply disruptions.

Russia (an OPEC+ member) produces approximately 10 million barrels of oil per day, so any disruption of their supply output or pipelines puts a huge portion of Europe at risk for outages, and analysts just don’t see alternative supply being available to cover any Russian shortfalls.

So as always, it ultimately comes down to three things – Supply, Demand, and Politics. And as always, its anyone’s guess how any one of those factors ultimately shakes out.

Stay Tuned!

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Demand Concerns Temper Prices Despite Supply Crunch

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Oil prices are continuing to slide back down some after multiyear highs last week. (At time of writing at 10 this morning, both refined products are trending down)

All of the issues with energy supply and labor shortages are still in play (obviously) so what’s going on?

The other side of the coin – demand, is once again raising concerns and tempering some of the bullishness on the markets.

The US reported lower industrial output for September, which is dampening enthusiasm over economic rebound and rising demand in the industrial sector. A large factor in play in the lower U.S. numbers is the continuing (worsening?) global semiconductor shortage. The lack of availability is severely hampering production and availability of motor vehicles and slowing progress on large scale tech projects.

Additionally, China’s data did not do much to allay demand fears, third quarter economic growth hit a low for the year, as did daily Crude processing levels. China’s lackluster reports are largely due to supply bottlenecks and shortages like the US data is.

As mentioned however, seasonal supply concerns for the upcoming winter, labor shortages (particularly in the trucking industry), generally positive economic rebound, OPEC cuts, and an uncertain trajectory for COVID-19 cases as we enter the flu season are still all factors very much in play in the markets, all of which we would normally expect to push prices higher.

So the ongoing question becomes which way the pendulum will swing between the supply issues and the demand requirements. Supply (at the moment) is what it is, the major variable is whether demand moves up and forces supply crunch related price hikes, or if the labor situation and slowing economic growth drop the demand enough overall to drop prices in the longer term.

All that being said – make hay while the sun shines as they say. Not a bad time to lock a prompt in case tomorrow flips the screens positive again.

Stay Tuned!

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Spiking Prices & Labor Shortages Complicate Energy Outlook

Lots of interconnected events in Energy News this past week or so – we’ll run through and touch on some of the major items and attempt to keep it (relatively) brief.

Here we go:

US Crude Oil prices hit $80 Monday for the first time in 7 years, largely on the basis of surging demand and simultaneous supply issues for power & gas globally, particularly in China, India and Europe.

Last week we saw Natural Gas hit historic highs of $185 per mwh on the supply crunch, although prices have backed off highs this week upon the announcement from Russia’s Vladimir Putin that Gazprom would increase output to Europe to help ease their supply woes.

Speaking of Putin, he went on record Wednesday that he believes Oil could reach the $100/bbl mark (again). OPEC+ (which includes Russia) has been resistant to calls to up their production increases, choosing instead to stick with the previously agreed upon increases.

The Biden Administration has reportedly been relaying their concerns about rising energy costs to unnamed OPEC+ senior officials, and more publicly has called on oil producing nations to “do more” to up supply in order to ease price increases and global supply issues. So far they have not been successful, largely because longer term economic and demand growth numbers don’t look exceptionally promising, so OPEC+ member nations are unwilling to jump up supply to ease pricing when the longer term demand required to keep pricing reasonably benchmarked does not appear to be there.

Additionally, Reuters is reporting  this afternoon that the White House has been speaking with domestic producers about helping to bring down costs. It’s unclear exactly what they are hoping for on that front, or what may have been discussed specifically.

Gasoline in the US is at a 7 year high (averaging $3.29) and the EIA Short Term Energy Outlook reporting this morning indicated that consumers can also expect to pay substantially more for energy this winter

(you can read that report here: https://www.eia.gov/outlooks/steo/report/WinterFuels.php)

Domestic output has not rebounded to pre pandemic levels, and is well off from 2019 highs. In addition, the surge in natural gas pricing means dual fueled power generation systems are likely to be looking at diesel to offset some of the cost this winter. This is what helped dampen prices on Crude & Diesel today somewhat – Crude demand will exceed earlier expectations if power generation does in fact move toward a more diesel heavy mix than we see in a typical winter…. Theoretically.

One of the factors we will need to see play out however, is that increased diesel demand is all well and good, but the ongoing (and apparently worsening) labor issues in the United States may complicate that option. The driver shortage is impacting delivery times and logistics across the country, nowhere is that more clear than the ports. The Biden Administration just announced the Port in Los Angeles will run 24/7 in order to attempt to catch up with backlogged demand and offload stranded container ships. The problem however, is these are backlogged in the first place because of labor & driver shortages, so it isn’t clear how effectively 24 hour runs will solve the backlog. The news is warning of transportation issues already ahead of the holiday shopping season rush, so the lingering question becomes how well will transportation companies and fleets be able to pivot and meet demands with the pressure of labor shortages on their backs, if in fact they continue. 

At the end of the day, lots of news directly or indirectly impacting the energy markets the last few weeks, most of it less than optimistic. However, its worth remembering that we’ve seen supply crunches, or demand outlook changes, or OPEC pivots, or US Presidents’ remarks rile up the markets and send the news analysts into a tailspin, only to resolve themselves in the short term a million times. As always, it ain’t over til it’s over, and we will have to see the longer-term implications of the multiple competing factors currently at play.

Stay Tuned!

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NYMEX flirts with Double Digit Increases on Vaccine Approval, Weaker Dollar

Oil prices reversed their 7 day losing streak this morning. Last week WTI shed 9% to hit multi-month lows, and this morning it rebounded up to 5% on intraday trading.

Refined products are up huge with both products flirting with double digit increases. At time of writing (1:30pm), refined products were up substantially, with ULSD up $.0997 Sept, $.1001 OCT and Gasoline up $.0937 SEPT, $.0926 OCT. Additionally, WTI is up over the $65/bbl benchmark at $65.68 (+3.54).

The causes are being cited as both a weaker dollar (it's down from highs on Friday) and FDA full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine for everyone aged 16 and over (versus the Emergency Use Approval it has had since December). There is some hope that full FDA approval will quell some skepticism and lead to higher overall vaccination rates among eligible people. 

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One of the major factors that has been weighing on commodities (as discussed) has been the looming threat of shut downs and travel restrictions that would continue to effect demand in the event that COVID has a resurgence from the delta variant. 

It would seem, however, that approval of the vaccine may not be a valid reason to fully discard those demand concerns in the longer term. After all, we are seeing some restrictions being placed in China and other countries regarding travel. Additionally, supply levels are high, and Baker Hughes indicated a higher domestic rig count last week which indicates further upticks in production (despite demand lowering). 

On the other hand, full approval may signal to markets that shut downs will not be an inevitability and thus the demand hiccups we are seeing will be shorter term than has been priced in so far. 

As usual, we will have to wait and see.  

Stay Tuned! 

 

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Uptick in COVID Cases & Strengthening Dollar Push Prices Down

Ramped up COVID cases and a stronger dollar pushed oil prices down today - intraday prices had Crude down to 3 month lows (off 4%) . Refined products tanked as well, lunchtime saw ULSD off almost 7 cents (.0674) and RBOB off .0868 on front month trading. 

At the close, the losses pared somewhat with ULSD settling at 1.9690 (-.0522) and RBOB at 2.0815 (-.0662) for September contract. (ULSD 1.9714 and RBOB 1.9525 for OCT). WTI Crude settled out at 63.69/bbl.

As discussed previously, the uptick in COVID cases has been making traders (and the rest of us!) nervous, particularly as it relates to economic growth and demand slippage.  Goldman Sachs has revised projections for third quarter GDP down in anticipation of Delta variant induced economic slowing. 

In addition, although demand outlooks are lower, it looks extremely unlikely that OPEC+ will walk back their recent production increases, as despite prices slipping, they are still at a profitable level for member nations (at least for the time being). 

The paring of losses we saw on the screen as the afternoon wore on were largely the result of the US Dollar strengthening. Somewhat ironically, the dollar is strengthening largely because of indications from the Fed that stimulus measures put in place to mitigate COVID impacts will be phasing out over the coming year. 

So on one side, the dollar is stronger on phasing out COVID measures and on the other, demand outlook is weaker on the back of rising COVID cases, and both of those factors are dropping prices. Riddle me that. 

The other wildcard in play generally with the markets is the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have (re)seized control of the nation. It is unclear for the moment what the longer term impacts will be both on the region and internationally. That is true both in terms of the markets and how the international handling of the humanitarian crisis unfolding develops . We will keep an eye on that developing situation. 

Stay tuned!

 

 

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High Outputs, High Case Numbers, and Low Economic Growth Crush Refined Product Prices

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Weak economic data from the United States & China, combined with higher OPEC outputs and rising COVID cases have again raised concerns about oversupply and weakening demand and pushed markets into sell off territory.

Today saw Crude drop 4% to 71.26/bbl, and refined products followed suit, with front month trading closing down .0598 on ULSD to 2.1358 and down an even .06 on RBOB to 2.2747. 

So what's going on?

China reported its slowest factory activity growth in almost a year and a half, which has raised concerns about the strength of the global recovery, particularly as China, in addition to having the world's second largest economy, has had the most robust recovery of the Asian region thus far. In the US, manufacturing activity slowed for the second month as well - so we are two for two on the world's largest economies showing signs of weakness and slowing recovery. 

Globally, we are also seeing an increase in the number of COVID cases reported as a result of the delta variant. Despite reassurances from Fauci and the government at large that the United States will not be looking at a second round of lockdowns because vaccination rates should be sufficient to avoid them,  the resurgence of mask mandates and other protocols in some areas has led to some skepticism that economic recovery and therefore demand growth will continue. 

At the same time these concerns mount on the demand side, on the supply side, the output from OPEC+ countries for July hit its highest level since the beginning of the Pandemic (April 2020).  The OPEC+ member nations had begun a reversal on previously agreed to output cuts largely based on oil price recovery and a sunny outlook on demand.

It's possible, but unlikely, that the strategy will be reversed again even as we see the demand outlook be flipped on its head. 

So once again, the standing headline conclusion is "we have to wait and see" on both how COVID shakes out, and what OPEC+ may do. 2020 Deja Vu all over again!

Stay Tuned! 

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EIA Draws Slow COVID Resurgence Induced Sell Offs

shutterstock_1707677488EIA Inventory report showed much larger draws across the board on all products than anticipated. By the official count, Crude drew down 4.1mmb (2.9 expected), distillates 3.1mmb (435K expected) and gasoline 2.25mmb (916K expected). 

  The draws indicate a continuing tightness on the supply side in     the face of massive demand recovery as economies by and large get back to work as "normal". However, the past few weeks we've seen drops consistently on heightening concern about COVID resurgence and the spread of the Delta variant. 

Concern lingers as countries report a rise in cases and some have reintroduced some lockdown measures, or revised guidelines (including new guidance by the CDC on masks in the US). The growing fear is that extension of lockdown measures, or a return to lockdowns in a given sector could once again plummet demand and send markets reeling.  . 

On the other hand, global market supply is still extremely tight, even with additional produced gallons by OPEC+ member countries coming online. 

So, we essentially are in a weird spot where demand alone is the critical piece of whether the market will rally or slide - global supply is low which would support price increases, but if China does in fact crack down on imports of Crude as they appear to be doing, and COVID continues to tick up globally again the demand drop could be such that we don't see a rally materialize.

It's really anyone's guess as to how the world responds to continuing COVID fears should the cases continue to rise. 

Stay Tuned!  

 

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Prices Rally as EIA Reports Say Lower Inventory, Higher Demand

By noon trading today Crude was up almost 5%, and on the refined products side, ULSD was up 7 cents and Gas up almost 6 (+.0586) and the market looked like we could see the highest close since mid-March. 

So what's going on?

EIA Reports! The EIA demand outlook was increased signaling the agency sees a continuing growth in demand for petroleum products going forward. On top of that, the EIA Inventory reports this morning showed a draw of 5.9mmb on Crude for the week ending 4/9. This is actually pretty close to the number analysts had predicted on Crude - however, analysts had predicted builds on gasoline of 5.65mmb, and that's what kept prices in range Tuesday. The actual reporting from the EIA showed a build of only 300K, obviously a far cry from the priced-in 5.65mmb, and that took the brakes off of holding prices back.

So essentially, the EIA is predicting more demand and reporting dropped inventories at the same time, and that's pushing prices north. 

Other bullish factors behind prices moving up include substantial growth in Chinese oil usage (imports increased a reported 21% last month) and continuing positive economic indicators in US.

On the other side of the equation however, we are seeing a continually slow vaccine rollout (particularly in Europe) while we simultaneously see explosions in cases in some areas (ie Brazil). Yesterday, we also saw an announcement that the United States is "pausing" administration of the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine for COVID-19 after reports of potentially fatal blood clots in a small number of recipients. The pause reportedly will be for "weeks or even days not months" according to officials, but the major concern is a PR one, that the pause will cause hesitation in getting vaccinated among those who have not yet, which could hypothetically impact both case numbers, and how quickly the country is able to be fully back open for business. 

So vaccination concerns and case numbers are basically the black rain clouds over a potentially stronger, longer rally on prices, and it's anyone's guess which side of the equation wins out over the next few weeks. 

Stay tuned!

 

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OPEC+ Production Reversal signals Economic Optimism, Props Prices

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Last month, the OPEC+ decision to stay the course on previously announced production cuts pushed the market up. Yesterday, the OPEC+ decision to reverse course and bring more supply online over the next 3 months (May, June, July) resulted in....surprise! The market going up! 

The announcement on the OPEC+ production level change came initially around noon - normally we would see an immediate drop on the screens in the event of a production increase announcement.

So why not yesterday?

It seems the sentiment is that the sudden reversal is a strong vote of confidence for global economic recovery and a resulting surge in demand, and that confidence, along with some hopeful signs of demand upticks (resuming air travel, refinery utilization increases, import resurgence) is supporting higher price levels. 

This morning, the first jobs report published under new Labor Secretary (Boston's own!) Marty Walsh showed a surprising uptick in jobs. Non farm payrolls shot up 916,000 jobs (analysts had predicted 675K), and the unemployment rate dropped to 6% (last April the unemployment rate was 14.7%).

The markets were closed today in observance of Good Friday so we were not able to see the reports full impact, outside of some upticks in bonds, but it would seem to support the optimistic stance taken by OPEC+ regarding economic recovery. Major economic indicators are still up in the air however, and while countries are making progress with vaccinations and easing of restrictions, we are certainly not "past" COVID as of yet, so optimism should likely be tempered with some caution. 

In terms of the numbers, yesterday Crude closed out at $61.45/bbl - surprisingly tight to the close on the last day of trading in February despite March's volatility (last day of Feb trading Crude settled $61.50). April 1 close for ULSD on front month trading was $1.8316 (+.0618) and gasoline was $2.0223 (+.0626). 

Stay Tuned! 

 

 

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Oil Spikes on OPEC+ Agreement

shutterstock_651733465WTI jumped over 5% late this morning, as news broke that OPEC+ members would be agreeing not to raise production levels in April. According to reports, the current established levels for each of the member countries will be continuing as is through April and May, and the Saudi's are planning to forge ahead with continuing to keep the additional 1 million barrels per day offline as agreed to for February and March.

The news of continued cuts leaking from the (currently still happening) meeting surprised the markets, which is part of why we are seeing such a jump - often the predicted outcomes are "priced in" but today analysts fully expected that the ruling would be to let production cuts expire at the end of March as scheduled, and assumed Saudi Arabia would be ramping up production. We have started to see signals of demand levels returning, which, along with the ongoing price rally, had made analysts comfortable that OPEC would begin to ramp production levels back up. Reports indicate that Saudi Arabia urged caution and pushed for today's cut extensions, with Energy Minister Prince Abduliziz bin Salaman saying "Let us be certain the glimmer we see ahead is not the headlight of an oncoming express train"

Yesterday, prices jumped as well as the weekly EIA data for the US showed that the snowstorms and widespread freezing that impacted states in the Gulf Coast region continued to wreak havoc on refinery utilization. Crude stockpiles ramped up by 21.5 million barrels for the week ending Feb 26. That build is even larger than what we saw last April when the sudden imposition of COVID lockdowns demolished demand across essentially all sectors immediately. Crude built as a result of the lack of refinery capacity still in effect, and the opposite was seen (of course) on refined products. Although draws on refined products were clearly predicted, the EIA report still shocked as it showed draws on gasoline of 13.6 million barrels (about 5 times the anticipated draw) and distillates drew down 9.7 million barrels, versus the 3 million predicted.

In other news today, Houthi rebels in Yemen are claiming responsibility for a missile strike on a Saudi oil facility in Jiddah, in a continuation of infrastructure strikes in the ongoing proxy war. The conflict is definitely something to keep an eye on - as we saw in September 2019, attacks on Aramco infrastructure can rock the markets pretty severely. 

At today's close, WTI settled at $63.83. ULSD +.0603 to $1.8960, Gasoline up .0461 to $1.9979

 

 

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Despite Friday Drops, Gains for the Week on NYMEX

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Despite today's across the board drops on refined prices, (-.0262 UL & -.0255 RBOB) this week saw oil prices overall continue to tick upward. 

What's pushing prices up? A weaker dollar, and stronger confidence in economic rebound as the vaccine rollouts continue. At play as well is new agreement on supply curbs by Saudi Arabia in tandem with larger than expected draws in US inventory levels. 

Wednesday prices came close to hitting 1-year highs at the close, briefly going over in intraday trading for Brent Crude. So far, halfway through January, Crude prices are up ~9% or so as confidence builds in eventual recovery from the COVID induced shut downs and resulting dips in demand that we saw push WTI into negative territory about 10 months ago. 

In terms of the supply side, EIA reports indicated that US Crude inventories dropped a little over half a million barrels for the prior week, with gasoline dropping 1.1mmb & distillates dropping 2.3mmb - double what some analysts had projected. More broadly, Saudi Arabia has pledged to cut its output by 1mmb/day which will drop overall production levels, even though Russia will actually have allowance to produce slightly higher levels than before. Sort of an odd twist to the usual OPEC+ setup - you can read more about the specifics on the deal here in the New York Times: Saudi Arabia Will Cut Its Own Production, Allowing Russia's to Grow 

On the demand side of the equation, talks regarding further stimulus under the Biden Administration, as well as continued vaccine rollout seems to have traders (and everyone else) hopeful about eventual demand recovery as the economy hopefully strengthens and rebounds once immunity levels hit threshold. 

We did however see drops today to close the week out across the board. Front month ULSD & RBOB settled at 1.5929 & 1.5284 respectively, with Crude at 52.36/bbl. March numbers closed out with ULSD off .0263 to 1.5942, and gasoline dropped .0261 to 1.577. 

Who knows what happens next. Enjoy your weekend & stay tuned! 

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New COVID Strain Stops the Spread of Price Rally

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Last week's market pushed up on hopes of progress against COVID with vaccine rollouts and encouraging signs of demand growth on fuels. This week however, those hopes were dashed as talk turned to a variant strain of COVID found in the UK that has caused surging infections, and prompted the "Christmas Lockdowns" in other European nations to become increasingly severe. This has all but wiped out any hope of demand stabilizing in the near term.

Sunday France closed it's border to the UK, stranding truckers and travelers in the process. This afternoon they are allowing drivers who test negative to cross, if they have an essential purpose for travel. No travelers will be permitted without a reason for travel and negative test within 72 hours going forward, according to current reports. Overall, more than 50 countries have banned travel to & from the UK in the wake of the new strain's discovery, in an attempt to keep it from spreading. 

Even the passage of the second stimulus in the US that's been hanging over the market for what seems like eons didn't do much but slow today's declines as compared to yesterday's losses. 

Yesterday we saw both Brent & WTI shed over 2%, where we saw increases of 1.5% on both just Friday (Friday saw the highest front month settle on both flavors since late February). News moves fast.

Yesterdays close on WTI was $47.74, and $47.02 today. In terms of refined products, ULSD shed .0158 to $1.4616 for front month & -.0152 to $1.4630 for February trading. Gasoline followed suit, dropping -.0209 to $1.3395 Jan, -.0193 to $1.3355 Feb. 

It remains to be seen how things shake out when the second stimulus takes actual effect, but more importantly it remains to be seen what the implications of the new COVID strain will be. If it's contained, or vaccines are effective in slowing or preventing its spread, it may end up just a blip on the radar. If not.. well, we can only hope for the best. 

Stay safe and stay tuned. Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season, despite how different it may look this year. 

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NYMEX Ends the Week on a Calm Note

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Markets backed off slightly today across the board. At the close, we saw front month ULSD settle up .0012 to 1.4369 (1.4416 +.0006 for Feb), RBOB dropped .0089 to 1.3077 (-.0087 to 1.3137 for Feb) and WTI closed out at 46.57

Yesterday was another story - markets shot up and we saw Brent Crude hit & settle at $50 for the first time since March. Most upward trajectory in the markets lately has been Vaccine news related, as we've discussed previously. This past week, FDA emergency approvals for the Pfizer vaccine continued the optimism and pushed pricing up. 

Another factor appears to be demand growth globally as compared to last month. Bloomberg is reporting an uptick in road fuel usage in both Europe & Latin America as compared to November, although use is still down a staggering 30% from pre pandemic levels, according to their reports. (Great article - you can read it here: Global Oil Demand is Rebounding Again )

While there is some optimism then with regard to Europe & Latin America in terms of demand growth, the continuing surge of COVID cases in the United States is still a sort of cartoon anvil hanging over the market.

Massachusetts this week rolled back their reopening to a prior phase, California is enacting extremely strict lockdowns for affected zones, and other States are following suit with their own lockdown protocols. Optimism in Europe may be overstated as well, as Germany announced today they were heading into another national lock down. 

Beyond COVID, the counterweight to some demand growth is the new OPEC+ production agreement, under which they will increase production by 500K barrels per day. While not a devastating increase, it's worth remembering that the prior cut in May by 9.7 million barrels per day was revised to only drop 7.7 million 4 months later. So, we shall see if this production increase remains modest, or gets revised upward. 

Stay tuned! Happy Friday, everybody!

 

 

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Markets Soar on Vaccine News, Presidential Transition

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Final answers to lingering questions shot markets up today - Oil markets hit an 8 month high and the stock market soared,  with the Dow breaking 30,000 for the first time. Airlines, Cruise Lines, and Energy stocks all pushed up on continuing positive news regarding a COVID-19 vaccination. 

In intraday trading, WTI surged over 4 % to $44.80 (the last time we saw the $45 benchmark hold was in March, prior to both the Saudi/Russian price war and the expanding of COVID into a full blown global pandemic. In other words, its been quite some time. Who can even remember life before lockdowns started?).

Since November 9 (first vaccine announcement) Crude has gained ~15% and Brent is in backwardation, another positive sign. 

ULSD & RBOB both traded up over .05+ the majority of the trading day. At the close, ULSD was up +.0490 to 1.3595 for December & +.0484 to 1.3642 for January. RBOB gained +.0542 for December to 1.2582, and +.0539 for January to 1.2510. Crude closed at $44.91/bbl - juuuuuuust under that $45 benchmark. 

Earlier in the month (November 9) we saw markets jump on the announcement by Pfizer that they had developed a 90% effective vaccine. AstraZeneca and Moderna have also announced success on their iterations of a vaccine, one of which has the potential to solve some of the logistical issues regarding cold storage transport posed by the initial vaccine. Obviously, a vaccine means markets are hopeful that we will see a transition back to "normal" sooner rather than later, and the rally in industries particularly hammered by lockdowns, including air travel and general transportation would seem to bear that out. 

The other factor pushing markets today is the official start of the transition of power to the Biden Administration. Given the legal challenges being raised by the Trump Administration regarding vote counts, there was substantial uncertainty around the transition, and if there's anything the market hates, its looming questions without answers. It seems that the clarity is boosting confidence.

Lest we get overly optimistic however, it's important to note that although vaccine news is good news - none of the vaccines announced have been approved for general use yet. We are also still in a surge of COVID cases right now and there is no timeline on when a large enough contingent of citizens will be vaccinated in order for restrictions to begin easing. Goldmann Sachs & JP Morgan have revised economic expectations due to surging, New York City has closed schools again, and even in Massachusetts we are seeing field hospitals being reopened to handle expected increases in cases. All of this to say while today was great for 401(k)s, it is probably premature to be overly optimistic about the next few weeks to months. 

Despite all the craziness of 2020, we're Thankful to be here still working for our customers. We hope you have an amazing and relaxing (social distant) Thanksgiving. Enjoy the long weekend! 

 

 

 

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Markets Up on Second Stimulus Hopes, Unemployment Numbers

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Today we opened up slightly on the NYMEX, and the big drops kicked in around 11am, (up to almost 3% on WTI temporarily) when Speaker Pelosi announced that they expected "pen on paper" for a second round of stimulus packages. The announcement came as somewhat of a surprise, as much of the activity on the second stimulus as of late has involved blocking, show bills, and discussions of everything being postponed until after the Election (and other typical political maneuvering).

The other factor lifting hopes and the market today was the jobless claims number released this morning by the US Department of Labor, which put new weekly jobless claims in the US at 787K, much lower than analysts expected. (Projections were 870K+ new claims would be filed, so the report was MUCH better than anticipated)

At the Close, ULSD gained .0208 to 1.1607 (Dec: +.0211 to 1.1687), Gasoline was up .0078 to 1.1581 (Dec +.0181 to 1.1452) and WTI was 40.64 (up about 2%). 

Wednesday we saw prices slide, largely due to the EIA inventories showing massive builds in gasoline (+1.9 mmb), and lower production than the prior week - both of these indicate a continuing drop in gasoline demand domestically and were more than enough to overwhelm the slight draws on Crude also reported by the EIA.

Overall, the demand outlook seems to be pretty grim globally for the short term, particularly as COVID-19 cases continue to trend upward in the West, so it remains to be seen how the markets will play out. If job numbers continue to improve and there is movement on stimulus, it could signal continued upticks in pricing based on economic outlooks improving.

One of the wild cards at play however, is COVID-19 and more specifically, it's impact economically and on global oil demand. We saw Ireland become the first European nation to return to lockdown today, and if that becomes a continuing trend, it's hard to see the market maintaining optimism about economic recovery. 

We will have to wait and see how it shakes out over the next several weeks.

Stay tuned! 

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Double Hurricane Threat Spikes Markets

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Gasoline hit 5 month highs today, with distillates and Crude following upward as well, as twin storms Marco and Laura continue their trek towards the Gulf. 

Bloomberg is reporting that 60% of offshore production is already offline ahead of the storms, as of this morning, Additionally, Motiva & Valero are slated to close their Port Arthur plants and Exxon is planning to shutter Beaumont facilities.

The storms are anticipated to make landfall in a sort of one-two punch and could cause estimated billions in damages (depending on model accuracy).

What we wont know until its over, obviously, is whether plants and the Colonial Pipeline are impacted severely enough to cause a longer term spike in prices by impacting supply, or if we will see a reversal. 

This will be an interesting one to watch, in terms of longer term market impacts. The continuing pandemic has put enormous pressure on demand & consumption levels as much of the world slows down, so we have seen relative price stability in the face of factors that would normally push longer & sharper rallies, like back to back draws in US inventories, and continuing OPEC drama. Despite steadily creeping upward over the past month or two, Crude appears to be staying stable around the $40/benchmark for WTI, at least for now. (Of course, keep in mind that $40/bbl levels mean shale production coming back online, so it's anyone's guess where pricing heads next. )

At the close, September ULSD added .0396 to 1.2476, Gasoline jumped .0830 to 1.3671 and Crude settled at 42.62. October distillates were up .0357 to 1.2640 and gasoline added .0468 to 1.2598.

Stay Tuned, and Stay Safe out there!

 

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Oil & Stock Markets Plummeting on Trump Travel Ban

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Oil opened down 6% this morning, and has continued to slide. We are currently off ~7.9% at time of writing (10:30am)

Crude oil (both Brent & WTI) have shed almost 50% of their price since the beginning of 2020. Currently, on refined products we are looking at ULSD -.0872 &  RBOB -.1907 (@ 10:30am)

In addition to the Saudi/OPEC price war, we now have yet another factor weighing on oil prices, which is the 30 day travel ban President Trump has imposed on European countries in an attempt to contain the Coronavirus.

The announcement sent stock markets crashing this morning (even worse than yesterday, when the DJIA entered bear territory).The so called "circuit breaker" kicked in to halt trading at 9:35am for 15 minutes.

The markets are now down ~8% - if they hit 13% another trading halt will kick in. 

The stocks being hit particularly hard are Cruise lines, airlines, etc - in other words, basically the stock market is setting demand expectations for major transportation companies extremely low - which means demand for oil products overall are an increasing concern. 

Obviously, this is developing as we are about 12 hours out from the original announcement, and the markets are open in full swing. You can follow developments here:  Business Insider 

(For specific live updates on the stock market itself versus meta analysis, go here: Stock Market Live )

 

 

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Price War! Oil drops 24% on Saudi Reversal & COVID Economic Carnage

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Oil markets were tumbling well before the open today, and unfortunately we didn't see that turn around at all through the course of the official trading day.

At the open, we were down -.2076 on ULSD, and -.2362 on gas and it only went downhill from there.

At the close, Crude settled at an incredible $31.13/bbl (down 24%!!), ULSD dropped -.2223 to $1.1629 & RBOB dropped .2521 to $1.1369.

Stock markets took a pounding today as well, dropping precipitously enough for trading to be temporarily halted when the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped over 2,000 points after the open this morning. (Both the S&P and DJIA are down over 6% as of writing)

So what's going on?

In response to Russian refusal on the proposed OPEC production cuts, Saudi Arabia has completely changed course on cuts and announced they will not only be pumping at capacity starting April 1 (upon the expiration of the current cuts) but they are also additionally discounting by a reported 4-8 $ per barrel, with preferential pricing going to the US & Europe.

The move is meant to undercut other producers across the board  - somewhat reminiscent of the strategy employed to attempt to push out U.S. Shale production back in 2014-2016(ish) and retain market share at the expense of other producer nations (refresher/throwback on that here: 2015 - backstory on that strategy impact on Russia back then here as well: 2016 ) 

The thing is though, the math has changed substantially on both the Russian & US fronts in terms of capital on hand to withstand the drop in the case of Russia, and production cost and infrastructure in the case of the United States, so it will be interesting to see who blinks first. It's unlikely to be Russia, they announced they can withstand $25 oil for 2 years. (whether that is true or not remains to be seen)  

The second half of the equation today is that the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak is seriously dampening both global economic expectations, and oil demand. In particular, as US cases rise, concerns rise as well on economic impacts. Fear of the virus becoming a full on global pandemic are also in play now as Italy made the move to quarantine an entire region this weekend in an attempt to contain the spread. 

Basically, falling oil prices and falling demand paired with virus induced low global economic growth is igniting fears of a recession. In particular, the US, who has recently become a major producer and net exporter, could feel major impacts that we are not used to. 

Again, it's anyone's guess if we are seeing the bottom or not yet or how long it will take for the factors involved to reverse course. In the mean time, stay tuned (and wash your hands!)

 

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Oil Tanks 10% on No OPEC Deal & Continued Pandemic Fears

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Wild day on the markets today! Oil plummeted on news that the production cuts proposed at the OPEC+ meeting in Vienna were rejected by the "plus" contingent of the OPEC+ coalition - namely, Russia.

Current cuts will remain in place through March, but technically there is no agreement for continued production cuts past the 31st, which means its anyone's guess how production will be ramped up among OPEC+ nations (assuming another deal is not hammered out). Proposed cuts were contingent on Russian agreement and well... they said no. 

Upon the news, the market dropped 7% essentially immediately, and continued on down throughout the day, closing down 10%  - with WTI settling at $41.28/bbl (lowest it has been since August 2016!). ULSD dropped .1033 to settle at 1.3852, and RBOB dropped a whopping .1328 to close out at 1.3890.

The timing on this could not be worse, as global economic demand growth has been taking a pounding from the Coronavirus' impact on major economic players, specifically China. There was some indication in late February that the virus was being contained in terms of slowing new cases, but that appears to have been wildly inaccurate - infections have now surpassed 100K, and spread to over 93 countries, according to the CDC. 

The stock market was hit just about as hard as the oil markets today in the ongoing panic, despite positive jobs numbers and the signing of an 8.3 billion dollar epidemic relief package in the US aimed at ramping up efforts to contain and combat the virus, as well as develop a viable vaccine as soon as possible. The bill also includes SBA loan options for industries hit particularly hard by the outbreak (like airlines), which was in part meant to combat some of the economic fallout and panic - but today's stock market numbers would indicate it was not successful in that endeavor. 

All of this to say - it's anyone's guess if we have hit the bottom on pricing yet, and it's likely to be a day-by-day analysis until the pandemic fears subside... at which point global supply (and potential supply cuts) will again become the main driver.

Stay tuned! 

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Markets Up on OPEC+ Hope and Coronavirus Slowdown

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WTI Crude traded & settled below $50/bbl earlier this week, as prices continued to slide across commodities. Today, however, we saw the trend reversing, with the market up this morning by almost 3%. (Early on, we were up over the 3% mark but gains dropped off slightly after the EIA inventory reports were released this morning.) 

EIA Inventories showed builds on Crude of 7.5mmb, well above analyst expectations. Gasoline drew down 100K bbl, and distillate stocks dropped 2mmb, as well. Distillate numbers were essentially in line with expectations. Crude pared about .5% on the builds, and gasoline moderated but stayed up, as analysts were predicting builds of ~700K barrels versus the actual drop of 100K barrels reported. 

In broader news, most of today's increases are being pegged on confidence that the OPEC+ production cuts supposedly forthcoming will both be in effect quickly, and will see full member adherence to new lower limits.

Also, China is reporting the lowest number of new Coronavirus cases since January, which is continuing to restore confidence in their economy and calming fears regarding a longer term global slow down on oil demand growth.

At the close, Crude settled back up over $50 again at $51.17/bbl (Tuesday's close was $49.94), ULSD closed up .0490 to $1.6757 and RBOB closed up .0668 to $1.5810.

Stay tuned!

 

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Crude drops 15% in January

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After what seems like 76 days, January is finally over. 

As it goes into the books, January 2020 will go on record as having the largest drop in Crude prices since January 1991 - with a drop of 15% (around 12% on Brent). That's a lot on it's own, but it's especially surprising if you remember that the beginning of the month saw huge spikes on the US-Iran Strikes.

The largest driving factor dropping prices now is growing concern about the potential global economic impacts of the Coronavirus spreading from the Wuhan province in China. There have been several cases now outside of the original geographic area, including the first confirmed human to human transmission in the US.

Late Thursday the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a global health emergency. Rumors abound that the State Media in China is vastly under reporting the numbers when it comes to official infection rates and the death toll. Whether that is true or not, it has thoroughly spooked investors and traders, as global markets and the NYMEX tumbled this week.

Wednesday's EIA report showed domestic Crude builds shot way past expectations, clocking in up 3.5mmb for the week ending January 24. (Gasoline also hit a high of 261.1mmb). Obviously builds do not bolster prices, but Wednesday was relatively calm as compared to both Monday & Thursday. Thursday alone saw a 2.2% decline in Crude prices (to $52.14), and a drop of over 6 cents on ULSD at the close. 

Markets kept the downward trend going today as well, with March contract month numbers closing down .0136 on ULSD & off 14 points on RBOB, with Crude settling out at $51.56/bbl.

Reportedly, OPEC is already in discussion to move their March meeting up to promote cuts and stem losses. It's worth noting that the Libyan outage had essentially zero effect on prices this week, where it otherwise (presumably) would have - so the OPEC changes will likely need to be substantial to move the needle, unless the Coronavirus dies down relatively quickly. 

So while we don't know how long prices will be depressed, or when they might reverse, what we do know is that times like this it makes sense to reevaluate the strategies you use to hedge against the market with contracts or variable options, so you can get ahead of the next spike.  

See you in February! 

 

 

 

 

 

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US-China Trade Deal Keeps Markets Range Bound

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Prices have been somewhat up and down, but largely range bound over the past several days of trading.

It's not because there's nothing going on but because there is a lot happening but it's sort of up in the air which way everything will go. 

The ongoing US/China trade tension situation is both the major factor and a good example - "Phase One" of a trade agreement is in the books as of Wednesday, including a pledge by China to buy "at least 52.4 billion of US Energy products over the next two years" (although what that entails specifically was not clarified)... That sounds like news that should be pushing oil up substantially -  but we don't actually know if any trade deal will change demand forecasts, so it may be that pricing is largely unaffected. 

Some of the confusion is that this is "just phase 1" and the US has announced that they are not removing tariffs on billions of dollars of Chinese goods until phase 2 (whatever that is) is agreed to, but we have revised tariffs down substantially on 120 billion OTHER Chinese goods previously at a higher rate.

Essentially, no one is really sure what we can expect to see in terms of real impacts from Phase 1 -or how long Phase 2 will take. 

(You can read the details of Phase 1 in this article on MarketWatch: "Trump signs landmark China deal and says removal of tariffs would come in next phase"). 

Yesterday (Wednesday) The EIA inventory report for the week ending January 10 showed surprisingly huge builds on distillates and gasoline, 6.7mmb and 8.2mmb, respectively. (Analysts had predicted 3.3 on gas and 1.3 on distillates). Crude also surprised traders with a 2.5mmb decline (against a 1.1mmb speculated build). Wednesday's close reflected the report with a drop of .0324 ($1.8779) on ULSD, a drop of .0176 on gas ($1.6368) and a final number of $57.81/bbl on WTI Crude. 

Today we have been mixed most of the day as the trade deal news gets analyzed and digested, primarily. At the close, ULSD was down .0179 to $1.8600, RBOB gained .0180 to $1.6548 and Crude settled at $58.52, from $57.81 Wednesday.  

This week the EIA also revised its expectation for WTI & Brent crude for 2020, putting WTI at an average of $59.25, pretty close to where we have been trending the past week or so (1/8-1/16: 58.08-59.61/bbl)

Stay tuned! 

 

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De-Escalation Walks Back Overnight Oil Gains

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What a wild start to 2020 for the oil markets! 

Friday saw morning trading jump ~4% on the Pentagon's confirmation that the United States had launched airstrikes and taken out Iran's top commander in Iraq. Prices gave back about half their gains during trading on Friday with the settle at $63.05/bbl Crude, $2.0614 ULSD & $1.7488 RBOB. 

Gains continued to slowly pare off through trading Monday & Tuesday, for the most part.

That is until Tuesday night. 

After a few day's of relative quiet (outside of Twitter, anyway), last night Iran commenced retaliatory strikes against the US by launching missiles at two US Bases in Iraq housing military members, as well as towards the US consulate in Ebril (the consulate was not hit). There were no casualties in the strikes. 

Upon news of the missile strikes, the market shot up almost 5% on overnight trading. 

Despite the overnights being up so sharply, by today's open when it was clear there were not massive US casualties (which would all but guarantee further action), the market was essentially flat and plummeted through the day as news updates became available.

Today's round of press conferences and news briefs indicated strongly that Iran was signaling that they would not retaliate further, and as of the moment the US position is apparently to de-escalate by working on sanction proposals versus further military strikes. Of course, both of these positions are subject to change at a moments notice, and it's entirely possible sanctions are interpreted by Iran as escalation, but for the moment we at least have some calm on the Iran/US tension front and hopefully that continues. 

At the close,Crude settled out below $60/bbl again, at $59.61, ULSD shed .0742 to close at $1.9582, and RBOB lost .0734 to settle at $1.6488. 

Stay Tuned! 

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2020 Starts with Surging on Iran Strikes

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Today, the market surged up to 4% on intraday highs as the Pentagon confirmed that US Airstrikes in Bahgdad killed Iran's top commander, Qasem Soleimani. Soleimani was considered to be responsible for the attacks by Iran on the US Embassy earlier this week, and the strikes have been framed as a retaliation for those attacks, as well as a preemptive action to prevent alleged further attacks in the works on US targets in the region.

This afternoon, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei promised retaliation ("Severe Revenge"), and the US announced that 3500 additional troops would be deploying to the Middle East. 

Concerns are obviously mounting about the nature of Iranian retaliation for the strikes, with the major concerns being either an escalation to war between the US & Iran, or that we will see Iran begin to attack crucial infrastructure in the region again, like they allegedly did in Saudi Arabia this past September. 

It is important to remember however, that when last September's attack took 5.7mmb out of global supply instantaneously, and essentially halved Saudi Arabia's production capacity, the markets spiked, but had essentially returned to flat within a few trading days.

That is to say - it's anyone's guess whether we continue to climb or the market does a quick turnaround over the next week of trading.

We did back off intraday highs by the close, where ULSD was up +.0373 to 2.0614, RBOB was up +.0446 to 1.7488, and Crude settled at $63.05/bbl.

However, the story is still developing so it's hard to know what impact any late afternoon & weekend developments may or may not have on the the electronics as well as Monday's open. 

Stay Tuned! 

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Inventories & Rumored OPEC+ Cuts Boost Oil Prices

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Markets shot up today after relative calm earlier in the week, on EIA inventory reporting this morning that showed a 4.9mmb drop in Crude, once again far surpassing analyst predictions.

This week's report marks the first time in 6 weeks that US Crude inventories have showed declines.

At the close, WTI settled at $58.43, ULSD was up .0430 to $1.9229, and RBOB was up .0413 to $1.6042. 

In terms of larger ongoing issues affecting markets, the OPEC meeting is still looming (this Thursday & Friday). Analysts expect that the OPEC+ agreement will both be extended and strengthened as a result of the upcoming meeting, and they expect deeper cuts going forward to be the main outcome of the meeting (rumor is cuts will be an additional 400K bpd).

However, there has been some drama recently with Saudi Arabia and other member nations over adherence to production caps.

Basically, Saudi Arabia has kept production well below their agreed upon level in order to offset the overproduction by non compliant producers (Iraq being chief offender - they over pumped by around a quarter million barrels per day). As a result of that, Saudi Arabia is essentially subsidizing and taking the financial hit for other countries over production in order to keep global pricing levels stable. 

Understandably, they are a little tired of doing so and last week threatened to unilaterally boost their own production and send the whole pricing house of cards tumbling if other nations don't step up their compliance rates. Its likely an empty threat - even though they're taking a hit covering for the other nations, they also stand to lose the most (by a LONG shot) if prices were to crash now. The threat is meant to keep other producers in line, but who knows what will happen if they don't. We will have to see how the meetings go at the end of this week. 

Stay Tuned! 

 

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Mixed Market Week on Same Old Concerns

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Happy Friday!

We are ending out a mixed week on the NYMEX today, to put it mildly. Monday & Tuesday were both substantial down days with the market shedding over 4 cents (.0433 and .0473, respectively) on ULSD both days, and landing Crude at $55.21 at Tuesday's close. 

Wednesday & Thursday however, saw the NYMEX jump up substantially.

Wednesday's inventory numbers fell short of expected builds and we saw intraday highs over 5 on refined products, with the close reflecting +.0347 on ULSD ($1.8921) and +.0526 on RBOB ($1.6563) and Crude closed at $57.11. 

Thursday gains were around 2% with ULSD closing up +.0526 to $1.9447, RBOB +.0481 to $1.7044 and Crude up to $58.58, a two month high. 

Today we saw the market shed some of the week's earlier gains, with ULSD down -.0153 to $1.9294, RBOB off -.0301 to $1.6743 and Crude closed out at $57.77, about back where it was Wednesday mid-morning. 

So what's going on? Good question. It seems a lot of the back-and-forth action this week (and for a few weeks prior) has primarily been the result of ongoing speculation and reaction on three repeating themes 1) China-US Trade War 2) OPEC Cut questions 3) Global economic concerns.

Essentially we have been bouncing up or down based on reaction to inventory reporting, economic reports, rumors of progress then retreat on ongoing China-US discussions, tariff delay questions, and uneasiness about what OPEC may or may not announce regarding cuts at their December 5th meeting. 

Hopefully there is some solid direction on any of these questions over the next few weeks, or it's anyone's guess when the see-saw action will subside. Until then, it's Deja Vu all over again, as they say. 

Stay tuned!

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Supply vs. Demand Concerns Temper Early Gains

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The markets were initially up somewhat today on EIA inventory reporting and projected slowdowns in US Shale production through 2020.

However, ongoing positive hopes regarding a trade deal between China and the US, as well as some unexpectedly positive demand numbers from China allayed some concerns on the demand side of the equation and prevented supply related spiking on the NYMEX today, and we ended up closing down on Crude & RBOB, and up slightly on ULSD. 

Official numbers at the close: Crude $56.77 (from $57.12), ULSD $1.9179 (+.0054) and RBOB $1.6158 (-.0207)

On the OPEC front, no "major changes" are anticipated on current supply curbing measures and member adherence. There is some question though if going forward there will be further cuts to prop prices, which seems important both for Aramco valuation and to compensate for continually dwindling demand. On the other hand, the ongoing concerns for the cartel regarding the portion of demand loss that has been taken by non-OPEC producers, including the US, makes further supply cuts anything but a sure thing.

As we've discussed, OPEC nations, particularly the Saudi's have the lowest oil production costs globally, so while they can withstand "cheap" oil, producers of Shale who are looking at both higher production costs and high overhead and financing debt on newer exploration projects cannot. Thus far, obviously, the multi-year campaign to push higher cost producers out has not worked - and some analysts think that should OPEC decide to pursue further cuts to prop pricing, (rather than continuing to ride it out), it could signal an acceptance of this fact and potentially signal a major shift in their approach going forward.  

The next meeting is scheduled for December 5-6. The way the news has been going, it's probably a good assumption that we will see enough volatility from other issues that it will sneak up on us again. 

Either way, stay tuned! 

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EIA Data drops prices, but OPEC cuts loom ahead of Aramco IPO

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The NYMEX was down across the board today, with Crude settling at $56.35 (from $57.23), ULSD dropping .0288 to settle at $1.9278, and Gas shedding .0484 to close out at $1.6262.

We've been up and down on the markets recently with the news doing a tug-of-war around trade tensions, global supply fundamentals, and demand/economic outlook concerns.

Today's drop, however, we can attribute to a pretty straightforward factor - huge builds in supply on this morning's EIA report. 

This week's EIA data showed an increase of a whopping 7.9 mmb in Crude supplies, almost triple the number (2.7mmb) analysts had predicted. This is the second week in a row that analysts pegged a build of around 2.5/2.7mmb and the actuals dwarfed the estimates, which explains much of today's quick drop (no one had it "priced in"). 

Gasoline & Distillate inventories both showed draws, but came in relatively close to analyst predictions, with actuals showing 2.8mmb on gasoline (2.4mmb predicted) and 600,000bbl on distillates (versus 1mmb predicted). Gas & Diesel have had unseasonably high demand as of late so draw downs are actually a positive sign in that regard.  

So supply is up more than anticipated, and there are still concerns regarding global demand & economic growth... but before deciding that means prices will stay depressed, its important to note that OPEC is again discussing further supply cuts across the board, despite the ever present concern regarding US Shale production.

Word on the street is that Saudi Arabia has been pressuring producers in their region to agree on further cuts in an effort to boost market valuation of the Aramco IPO. (High valuation on the IPO may make risking a resurgence in shale production in the US worth it, when it otherwise would not be).

It's unclear if and when the cuts could take effect, but its definitely something that could impact near term pricing and is worth keeping an eye on. 

Stay tuned! 

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NYMEX spikes in wake of Saudi Arabia attacks

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Saturday, ten unmanned drones struck a major Saudi Aramco facility in Saudi Arabia, and immediately took 5.7 million barrels out of the global supply. The Abqaiq plant that was impacted is one of the world's largest processors. 

The Saudi government indicated that Iranian weapons were responsible but stopped short of blaming Iran for the attack, (although US Secretary of State Pompeo did NOT stop short and explicitly called Iran out in a series of tweets).

Yemeni Houthi rebels have taken credit for the strike, and threatened further escalation but it's unclear if they are, in fact, responsible.

Initial reports seem to indicate the attack did not come from Yemen, but Iran has denied any involvement. A lot of the long range implications of the attack will of course hinge on whether military escalation from other nations becomes probable, which directly depends on whether Iran, Yemeni rebels, or a third party was responsible. 

Markets reacted in a big way - Crude was up on the overnights, and Crude, ULSD & RBOB all surged within seconds of the open, and never came back down. 

At the close, ULSD was up a whopping +.2060 to $2.0838, RBOB +.1993 to $1.7524 and Crude $62.90 (+8.05 over Friday's settle) 

This is still a developing story - CNN has a great, continually updating article you can follow new developments on in real time here: Saudi Attacks Send Oil Prices Soaring 

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Talk of Easing Iran Sanctions Trumps Crude Draws

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After starting the morning up on the EIA inventory reports of large crude draws (-6.9 mmb), the NYMEX dropped later through today's trading, as more information about the firing of US National Security Advisor John Bolton came to light, and as global demand growth estimates were revised downward yet again. 

The reason an Advisor firing is at all relevant to the oil markets is: Iran.

There was speculation immediately that Bolton's firing was a good sign for US-Iranian relations, and as details emerge it seems that speculation was not only accurate, but an undersell.

Bloomberg is reporting that the Administration discussed easing sanctions in order to broker meetings with Iranian President Rhouhani and kickstart negotiations. Evidently the support voiced for doing so led to a blowout of sorts that prompted the firing. 

Prices dropped almost instantaneously on the news that sanctions could potentially be eased on Iran. 

Additionally, today OPEC's estimates for global growth demand were revised downward (but worth noting is that the revision puts their estimates in line with those of other analysts and economists already existent predictions). The EIA numbers were revised slightly down yesterday as well (down 100,000 bpd from the August prediction to 900,000 bpd).

Overall it appears that for at least today's session, the current market of OPEC cuts and US domestic crude draws did not outweigh longer term concerns about a potential future supply glut in the face of low growth demand. 

At the close, Crude settled at $55.75/bbl, ULSD shed .0280 to close at $1.9032, and RBOB dropped .0209 to close at $1.5699

We'll have to see what happens tomorrow. 

 

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Today's Market = John Bolton Firing vs OPEC Cuts

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This past Friday, ahead of the scheduled OPEC meeting this week, Saudi Arabia abruptly announced a new Energy Minister, Prince Adbulaziz. The move sparked momentary concern that this was a signal the Saudi's would be reversing course on the OPEC+ production cut agreement, but it appears they are actually doubling down.

The kingdom announced they would be adhering to and encouraging the production cuts going forward, and Russian officials announced that they fully anticipated continuing the current trajectory with the new leadership. 

This consensus initially let prices continue their several day climb, with WTI hitting a 6 week high momentarily ... BUT!

But this afternoon, the Trump Administration announced the firing of US National Security Advisor John Bolton.

Bolton was extremely vocal regarding his hardline stance against Iran, and his "resignation" may be a positive signal for future progress on peace talks with Iran, and in the near term, may be a good move to de-escalate the current situation, a lot of which has impacted the oil industry via threats to tankers & the threat to block the Strait of Hormuz. 

Prices have backed off intraday highs following the Bolton announcement. Essentially any hint of resolution with Iran, while positive, also renews concerns about Iranian supply flooding the market, and that is pushing down on pricing (despite the prematurity of any concern). 

Time will tell how the interplay between production cuts and lingering supply concerns levels out, particularly depending on inventory reporting (which we should see tomorrow) and domestic production.

For today, at the close, we ended essentially flat. ULSD +.0035 to $1.9312, RBOB +.0062 to $1.5908

Stay Tuned! 

 

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Crude, Refined Products Jump on Tariff Delays

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NYMEX shot up today on news that the Trump Administration would be delaying the onset of tariffs on some Chinese made goods (including most electronics) to December, rather than September when they were supposed to take effect.

The other half of the headline is that trade talks will reportedly begin again informally in "two weeks" - prior to the announcement, no talks were expected until after the tariffs hit. This seems to be giving hope that the issue may be resolved ahead of the September deadline, although whether that happens that remains to be seen. 

WTI & Brent were both up over 3% on the announcements and refined products followed suit, jumping an immediate .05 and remaining high throughout the trading day. At the close - ULSD was up .0715 to $1.8773 and RBOB climbed .0712 to $1.7364, with Crude settling at $57.10/bbl. 

The other supports in place today are the API report due this afternoon which is expected to show draws in US inventories. (They are expecting 2.8mmb draw, but we wont have the "real" numbers until the EIA report on Wednesday)

Additionally, OPEC is vowing to keep production caps, if not expand them aggressively, according to a statement by the Saudi Oil Minister who indicated Saudi Arabia would keep September levels below 7mm bpd to keep down global levels.

Saudi Aramco is reportedly considering going IPO, so the thought is they will be doing whatever it takes to prop prices that is needed, particularly in the short term. 

All of this of course, could reverse on inventory data (or maybe some tweets) tomorrow, so stay tuned!

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NYMEX Drops Again on EIA Data

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Markets dropped again today on continued news of both upticks in supply, and drops in demand. 

The EIA report this morning showed a 2.4 mmb build in Crude, 4.4 mmb build on gas, and 1.5 mmb build on distillates.

The API & other analysts had expected another draw (in the neighborhood of 3.5mmb on Crude), which appeared to be priced into yesterday's trading. Today however, Crude plummeted 2% on the report's release, and refined products dropped steadily throughout the day.

At the close, Crude settled out at $51.09, ULSD was down .0708 to $1.7532, and gas dropped .0670 to $1.6203. 

For the second half of their one-two punch, the EIA also revised down its 2019 World Oil Demand forecast by 70,000 bpd. The 2020 number was not revised down, which is good, but the current year revision is still a worrying signal regarding economic growth, and therefore, longer term demand. 

The Bank of America report from Friday continues to weigh on prices as well, as the ongoing tension between the US and China is being watched carefully. Slowdowns in the Chinese economy are a huge factor for global demand on one hand, but robust growth supplied by (sanctioned) Iranian oil would be perhaps an even worse outcome in terms of market stability and general international relations - both between the US & China, and within the Middle Eastern region.   

It pays to keep in mind that despite how clear cut the drops may seem when looking at supply & demand factors alone - we also have a developing situation in the Middle East, specifically Iran. Sanctions are in play against Iran, and their economy is struggling which promotes civil unrest (as we have seen). Oil tankers are being seized in the Strait of Hormuz, while other vessels smuggle sanctioned oil to unscrupulous buyers, drones are being shot down, and so on.  It's not difficult to imagine that situation spiraling out of control and becoming a serious international crisis far beyond the impact it would have on markets. All of which is to say - it's never a great idea to assume the future is certain for the markets (or anything else). 

Stay tuned!

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Markets Tumble on Trade War Tensions

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The NYMEX tumbled back down today, erasing Friday's rally. At the close, ULSD shed .0546 to $1.8356, and RBOB dropped .0635 to $1.7180, with Crude closing at $54.69, which puts us back in the territory we saw on Thursday, essentially. (We were $1.8529, $1.7499 and $53.95 at the close Thursday after record slides).

The NYMEX wasn't the only market down today, as global stock markets slid on US/China trade war tensions.

So today, China threatened retaliatory action after the Trump Administration did not back down from tariff imposition threats. And then (stop me if you have heard this one before) Chinese currency hit suspicious new lows against the US dollar, which prompted renewed accusations of currency manipulation on the part of China by President Trump, which didn't sit well with Wall Street, who is looking for any sign of hope that tariffs and a potential full on trade war are not looming on the horizon....And then everything tumbled across the board, from the Dow Jones to the Nikkei. Phew. 

Bank of America also announced today that should China choose to purchase Iranian oil in response to US Tariffs, we could see oil tumble to "$20-$30/bbl" (although they did not revise their 2020 prediction of $60/bbl). The decision to purchase from Iran would serve to both weaken the impact of US backed sanctions on that country, as well as take a substantial amount of the impact out of the tariffs imposed on China. However, the move would not be without consequence, as Iran would be stepping outside the agreed upon production cut strategy in the region and that would likely not go over well with their neighbors (particularly Saudi Arabia) and would essentially force a heavier partnership than China may be interested in maintaining.

On the fundamentals, supply is still vastly outpacing demand, and economic indications continue to suggest that global demand will continue to soften. Whatever does or does not happen in terms of shorter news cycle events - seized tankers, trade disagreements, etc, the fundamental supply/demand levels will ultimately dictate a large portion of where crude & refined products settle out.... at least until another short term cycle event throws a wrench in the gears.

Stay Tuned!  

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Markets Rebound After Thursday's Slide

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Markets rebounded somewhat today from yesterdays massive slide.

Brent & WTI both closed up 2.7% today (to $62.07 & $55.40, respectively) after each saw the greatest single day slide in over three years on Thursday. 

At the close ULSD was up .0373 to $1.8902, RBOB up .0316 to $1.7815 and WTI at $55.40. 

So what's going on? 

Analysts are accounting today's rally to the idea that yesterday's sell-off was probably more extreme than was warranted, so some of the rebound is simply a re-balancing of sorts.

The other assumption is that the Trade War concerns brought on by yesterday's Presidential tweets and the potential impact of looming tariffs on the economy may have been an overreaction. Time will tell on that one. 

Overall it's a little hard to tell whether we are returning to range bound numbers or waiting for another shoe to drop, as a lot of the usual "leading indicators" are mixed.

The US economy expanded 2.1% in the second quarter, which beat analyst predictions - but also fell short of Q1 numbers.The jobs number was up - but not as strong as was hoped, and the unemployment rate is low - but unchanged from prior month. The economy expanded - but manufacturing activity and construction spending fell.

Oil production levels in the US are expected to surpass records, while OPEC cuts production to bolster prices. 

Each of the factors we usually consider is somewhat counterbalanced by another. 

It will be interesting to see how things begin to shake out.

Stay tuned!

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NYMEX Plunges on Fed Rates, Supply, Tariff Tweets

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Oil & Refined products all plunged today on a series of events. Both Brent & WTI were down over 3% this morning, and by 2pm refined products were down over 11 cents.

At the close, ULSD was down .1178 to $1.8529, RBOB shed .1129 to close at $1.7499, and WTI Crude was $53.95, down from $58.58 at the close yesterday.

Yikes.

So here's what appears to be going on in a very basic nutshell:

The Federal Reserve announced a single rate cut of 0.25% versus the series of cuts expected to be coming down the road. The interest rate cut was expected to begin a series of cuts to shore up the domestic economy against global economic concerns about general weakness but evidently will be a one shot deal. 

The dollar hit two year highs post Fed announcement, and oil crashed as a result. 

U.S. supplies were down for July and OPEC production hit record lows (below 2011 levels) as a result of the OPEC+ deal, which normally would serve to boost prices, or at least hold them steady. However, global supply & output levels are still very high, particularly from the United States, and additional influxes from former member nations who opted out of the OPEC+ production cut agreements. (When combined, that's an offset of around 12mmb per day against the cuts by OPEC countries) 

Finally, this afternoon, the Trump Administration announced abruptly that effective September 1, the US would impose a 10% tariff on an additional $300 billion dollars of Chinese goods. Not exactly helpful for allaying concerns about global trade, the global economy, or weakening demand, to put it mildly.

The announcement came out later in the day, so we will have to see how the markets shake out tomorrow - whether the demand concern seeming to dominate now holds out, or if we flip the markets the other way on overall economic concerns tariffs can raise. 

As always, stay tuned & feel free to reach out if you have questions. 

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Iran Seizes Tankers in Strait of Hormuz

 

BREAKING - Iran's Republican Guard has reportedly captured 2 oil Tankers in the Strait of Hormuz this afternoon, one tanker being British and the other Liberian flagged.

News broke of the first  around 1:30pm EST, the second being just announced 3:15pm EST. 

So far the market is up but not sharply, but it's unclear that the impact of news of a second vessel has hit yet. The obvious fear with multiple seizures is that Iran plans to deliver on the perpetual threat of closing the Strait of Hormuz, although it is obviously entirely too soon to make any such prediction. 

CNN is live updating on the unfolding situation, you can follow those updates here:  CNN - Iran Seizes Tankers in Strait of Hormuz

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Inventories & Gulf Storm threat push NYMEX higher

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Crude slipped past the looming $60/bbl benchmark this afternoon, as pricing surged over $2/bbl (~4%). Prices have been largely supported the past several weeks by looming Iranian-US tensions and price level support from the continuing OPEC+ production cuts.

Today's surge was the result of the perfect storm of, well, an actual storm, and unexpectedly high Crude inventory draws announced by the EIA. 

This morning several major oil producers announced they were beginning evacuations of rigs and halting areas of production along the Gulf of Mexico ahead of an impending tropical storm expected Thursday into Friday. (According to CNBC, who has a fantastic piece being continually updated with info on everything happening in the Gulf & the market impacts that you can read here: CNBC )

The EIA Inventory report this morning showed Crude draws of 9.5mmb, well above the anticipated levels (expectations were that draws would be around the 3mmb range, so they came in at over triple expectations, essentially). Gasoline drew down 1.5mmb, and distillates showed builds of 3.7mmb. Those distillate builds did little to slow the across the board impacts this afternoon, and refined products closed up right along side Crude. 

At the close, Crude closed out at 60.43, ULSD was up +.0804 to $1.9910 and gas settled up +.0783 to $2.0052

 

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G20 Summit Answers Looming Market Questions

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Prices surged this morning after a slow down on Friday, on news from the G20 Summit that Russia and Saudi Arabia have agreed to extend the OPEC+ production cuts by another 6-9 months. The agreement still needs to be ratified at the upcoming OPEC meeting, but that is essentially a formality at this point, given Russia & the Saudi's are in agreement. 

The demand side of the equation also got a boost from the announcement by President Trump that no new sanctions would be put in place on China, at least for now. Speculation on potential tariffs has been a cloud over trading for several weeks. 

Markets were up huge this morning, with gas briefly up over 5 cents and diesel not far behind, and Brent Crude up over 2%. It calmed over the trading day however, and at the close we saw ULSD +.0144 to $1.9538, Gas up .0339 to $1.9305 and Crude settled at $59.09

Looking backward, despite closing down on Friday, the month of June was up 9% on concern about Iranian-US tensions, Chinese tariffs, and the OPEC/G20 production discussions. Now that some of these have evidently been resolved, at least temporarily, it will be interesting to see what July holds for market moves. 

Stay Tuned! 

 

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EIA Data, Refinery Closures & International Tensions Spike NYMEX

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The NYMEX is up big this afternoon in the wake of surprise draws in inventories, ongoing international issues, and the potential closure of the largest gasoline refinery on the East Coast. 

Inventories: Crude was projected to drop ~2.5mmb but EIA data showed a surprise drop of a whopping 12.79mmb for the week ending June 21.

Gasoline & Distillates were both expected to show builds, but gasoline drew down 1 mmb, and distillates dropped 2.44mmb (projections were for builds of 0.29mmb & 0.52mmb, respectively).

Crude jumped over 3% on the news, and refined products shot up as well. Gas has been up over 8 cents most of the day, with diesel up .04-.05. 

At the close, Crude settled at $59.38, ULSD jumped .0479 to $1.9713, and Gasoline was up .0932 to $1.9704

International Tensions The ongoing tension between the US & Iran continues to make markets nervous as we wait to see what the next steps may be after the abrupt calling off of air strikes last week in response to Iran shooting down an American drone. 

Continuing concern about the ongoing saga regarding US-China relations and the potential ramifications of proposed tarriffs on Chinese manufactured goods is also serving to keep markets on edge. 

The G20 Summit is slated for this week, and all eyes are on reported meetings to occur between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Saudi Crown Prince. The previously scheduled OPEC meeting for the end of this month has been postponed, purportedly in order to allow for Russia & Saudi Arabia to discuss the so called OPEC+ deal on production caps, and what the ongoing supply curbs under that deal may look like at the summit. 

Refinery Closures  In addition to inventory draw downs, the Philadelphia Refinery that suffered an explosion last week when a vat of butane ignited is reportedly seeking to shut down permanently. The site is the largest gasoline refinery on the East Coast, and the long term supply impacts of it's shuttering could be substantial.

Stay Tuned!

 

  

 

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Refinery Explosion & Iran/US Escalations Push Prices Up

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Gasoline spiked this morning, after a refinery explosion shook Southern Philadelphia. At around 4am, a butane vat exploded at the East Coast's largest  refinery, causing large fires and prompting an shelter in place order for the surrounding areas. There are no injuries reported, and CNBC is reporting the flames were relatively controlled with the SIP order lifted around 7am. You can follow this story here: Massive explosion at biggest gas refinery in East Coast 

We won't know how long term an impact refinery issues will cause, but looming larger on the horizon is the US/Iran tensions hitting crisis point. The market has jumped substantially this week in response to the escalations.

In lieu of the deep dive really looking into the Iran/US issues would require, the following is a quick synopsis of what's been happening in the past weeks' escalations: 

Tensions have been simmering since last May, when Trump withdrew the United States from the so-called "Iran Nuclear Deal" reached with that country & President Obama that would have capped uranium enrichment for Iran at 3.67%.
  • Last week, as discussed, oil vessels were attacked in the Gulf of Oman.  The Trump Administration has placed the blame on Iran for the vessel attacks, although it is unconfirmed still at this moment in time. 
  • Monday, Iran announced that by the 27th, they would officially breach the caps on uranium enrichment set by the "Iran Nuclear Deal"  As mentioned, the Trump Admin withdrew from that deal in 2018, but it is important to remember that the other countries involved did not withdraw, the deal was supposedly still in effect between Iran & several other European nations.
  • In response to the announcement about uranium, President Trump announced he would be redirecting 1,000 troops to the Middle East.
  • Thursday, Iran shot down an unmanned US drone. Iran claimed the drone was within Iranian airspace, while the US argues their coordinates show the drone within International airspace near the Strait of Hormuz (there is about a 9 mile variance between the coordinates cited by Iran and those cited by the US)
  • Thursday night, President Trump ordered retaliatory strikes on Iran, but held off at the last minute. According to him, he called off the strike because the expected casualty rate would be higher than what he considered proportional to the attack by Tehran, so it is unclear whether a different type of retaliatory strikes will commence in the next several days. (This is still developing, follow live updates here: "Trump confirms he called off retaliatory strike against Iran in last minutes" 

We will continue to keep an eye on developing news and how it impacts the market.

If you have questions regarding current pricing, or want to learn about the options for fixed prices or prompts available in the face of volatility in the market, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

Stay tuned! 

 

 

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Markets Spike on Vessel Attacks near Strait of Hormuz

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So much for no major events on the horizon.. After yesterday's drop, where Crude closed out at a 5 month low, this morning the NYMEX was up sharply across the board on developing news of tanker attacks in the Gulf of Oman. 

The attack was reportedly on two tankers at 6:12 & 7:00 am this morning local time. Crews were evacuated, and thus far both vessels are still afloat, according to Fox news this morning. 

The area the vessels were hit in is close to the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passageway for oil in the Middle East, with approximately 20% of Global volume passing through the Strait. 

The market was up 4% this morning on the news, and we will have to wait and see what further impacts there are as the story develops. It is unclear how safely vessels are able to travel the Strait currently, and it is unclear who attacked the vessels (although some unsubstantiated claims from a group in Iran have surfaced).

Again, this is developing, so we don't yet know what exactly happened, or what the full impact may be. 

For a great explanation of this morning's market reaction, as well as continuing updates, follow this story on CNBC here:

Oil Jumps 4% on Reports of Tanker Attacks in the Gulf of Oman

 

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WTI Hits Lows on Inventory & Projection Data

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Prices continued to slide Wednesday as the EIA reported builds in Crude supplies of 2.21mmb for the week ending June 7th. (Yesterday, the API report indicated even more drastic build of 4.9mmb). This afternoon, WTI closed out at $51.14/bbl, the lowest close since January. WTI has dropped close to 20% since April peaks. 

On the NYMEX today, both gasoline & distillates tumbled alongside Crude, shedding -.0702 and -.0422, respectively. (The session closed out at $1.6861 for RBOB, $1.7799 on ULSD.) 

In addition to pricing being low, demand forecasts have been revised downward for 2019 & 2020 by the EIA, by around 100K bbl per day, globally.  

However, despite both the drop in prices and the slowing demand, forecasts indicate that not only will production continue in the US, but will ramp up by approximately 1.4mmb/day in 2019, according to the EIA. This is supported by statements made by the Deputy Energy Secretary of the United States, Dan Brouillette this week, who said production would continue to increase domestically despite pricing and demand concerns and he expects that demand concerns will resolve "as the economy begins to rev up". He also dismissed concerns that the ongoing tariff dispute with China would adversely impact US production, which remains to be seen. 

Analysts seem to be in agreement that OPEC is unlikely to seek any more curbs in output for their member nations, so essentially, with no major impact events on the horizon, we are just waiting to see if this is the bottom, a new normal, or a temporary blip. 

Stay tuned!

 

 

 

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OPEC vs "NOPEC" Drama Pushes NYMEX Up

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The NYMEX was up today across the board, with Crude closing out at $63.08/bbl, comfortably above that $60 benchmark, and refined products both edged up almost 3 cents, with ULSD closing at 2.0424 (+.0290) and RBOB settling at 1.9687 (+.0288).

So what's going on?

March Oil production from OPEC on preliminary reporting is down 570k barrels per day, primarily driven by drops from Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

Domestically, rig counts are up, suggesting some level of confidence in prices stabilizing or continuing to increase on the part of producers. Crude production levels are still up overall as well.

Another factor coming back into play this week was the so called “NOPEC” (“No Oil Producing Cartels”) bill in the US that aims to hold OPEC nations potentially liable for what are considered “cartel-like” practices. Currently (and historically) there is no real legal recourse against things like so-called market fixing and this bill aims to change that in terms of establishing liability.

The reason we care about this bill popping up again is that rumor has it the Saudis are responding to the prospect of the bill being pushed through by threatening to drop the dollar as the currency basis for their oil trading.

This might sound familiar because the same thing happened a few years ago. Threats over currency changes and essentially market flooding by the kingdom led to prices crashing (back when we ended out at $30/bbl, from the $100 ish its hard to remember being used to), which drove a substantial number of US based producers out of business (particularly those highly leveraged on shale plays). At the time, the Saudis essentially had enough cash in hand to allow the prices to bottom in order to retain market share and production dominance, where anything under $50-60 a barrel was unsustainable for US companies. 

 So long story short, the threat to replace the dollar is the threat to wreak havoc on the US economy via crashing the market. (One would hope the irony of that being your response to being called a cartel would register)

A point to remember is that at the end of the day, despite production level increases, the US is still a marginal producer, not a swing producer like OPEC, so production is almost fully determined by market price levels. And the dollar being removed as the basis for trading could seriously impact those price levels.

 So at least for today, we closed up on all the drama, but also the fundamentals.

 Time will tell if we hang around the $60 benchmark, or continue to move upward and a substantial portion of which way we go will depend on continuing production cuts globally, and what happens on currency basis changes.

 Stay tuned!

 

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EIA Levels Push Gas Lower, Distillates Hang Steady Ahead of IMO

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EIA Inventory reports for the week ending March 22 indicate that Crude inventories showed a build, while finished products (Diesel & RBOB) showed draws. 

Reports indicate a 2.8mmb build in the period for Crude, draws on gasoline of 2.9mmb and a smaller draw of 2.1 mmb on distillate inventories. 

We have seen WTI trending toward the $60 benchmark, where it continues to trade today after inventory levels were announced. Gasoline on the other hand, was down over 5 today after the news.

At first blush the drop on gas seems surprising, given the draw down, but production levels are still very high (9.7 million barrels per day) and very much outpacing projected demand, even as the U.S. heads toward "driving season".

Of note among analysts, diesel has remained relatively stable in the face of fluctuating inventory and international headlines, and the thought is that this period of calm is caused by (and will be short lived because of) the IMO Bunkering regulation changes set to take effect in January. Refiners, marketers, and end users are all eyeing potentially huge upcoming shakeups in the market there and the anticipation is putting a damper on major swings or selloffs in the current market. Or that's the prevailing theory, anyways. 

So what is IMO 2020? The short version is that as of January 1, 2020 marine fuels will be subject to a global cap of 0.5% sulfur (the current level is 3.5% in non-ECA/Emission Control Areas). Since this is global, it will impact essentially all refiners and supply point inventory options out there, in addition to the obvious end-user impact. 

(If you want a more in depth version of exactly what IMO 2020 is about and its anticipated impacts, Sea Trade Maritime News has a fantastic explanation here: Seatrade Maritime News: The 2020 IMO Fuel Sulphur Regulation  )

At the close, ULSD closed off $-.0093 to $1.9806 while RBOB shed $-.0602 to close out at $1.8955. WTI closed out at $59.41/bbl, continuing to hover around the $60 benchmark. 

 

Stay Tuned!

 

 

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OPEC output keeps upward price pressure on, PDVSA sanctions have little impact

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Prices have been trending upward this week, largely based on OPEC following through on production cuts. Namely, we saw a drop in output of around 800K bpd in January by its member nations. This would seem to indicate that the so called "OPEC+ deal" to cut output and thus global oversupply is actually being followed, and it appears it is starting to have the desired effect - stabilizing prices higher than we have seen over the past year or so.

On the other hand, US domestic production continues to surge, which is holding off the major jumps in pricing we would expect to see on the OPEC move normally. 

This afternoon WTI settled out at $53.90 (from 52.41 Monday), ULSD closed up +.0316 to $1.9388, and RBOB jumped +.0379 to settle at $1.4651.

Assuming we see the existing dynamic continue to play out over global (OPEC) vs domestic (US) output, the main question on how widely pricing will swing in the next few weeks hinges on Venezuela.

The sanctions placed on state run PDVSA by the Trump administration are the type of political event that normally rocks the market, but so far in terms of benchmarking they have had little effect (on the NYMEX - that is not to say they have not or will not have a serious impact Venezuela/PDVSA, to be clear).

CNBC has a great piece today detailing the impacts the IEA expects to see from the sanctions, and why they don't see them having an outsized impact. You can read that piece here:  "Don't expect US sanctions against Venezuela to fuel a rally in oil prices, IEA says" 

Stay tuned! 

 

 

 

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Today's Takeaways from the EIA Short Term Energy Outlook

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The US Energy Information Association - EIA - is out today with the Short Term Energy Outlook report with projections for 2019 & 2020.

Here are what I think are the major takeaways:

  • 2019 Price forecast for Crude oil - $61/bbl Brent, $53-57/bbl WTI. The Brent average for 2018 was $71/bbl, so we are expecting to continue to downward overall trend in pricing. 
  • 2019 Projected retail gas price - $2.47 (Down from 2018 average of $2.73) 
  • US Crude Production hit a high in 2018 - it is expected to continue to accelerate from the current level through 2019 & 2020. Over the next 2 years, experts expect an increase of over 1.5 million barrels per day. 
  • US Importing of crude & refined products is expected to continue to decline. Although we temporarily saw the US become a net exporter in 2018, the actual average per day imported was around 2 million barrels. That's expected to decline to 1mmb/d for 2019 and a shocking 0.1 mmb/d per day in 2020. (You read that right - .01, amazing)
  • US (Dry) Natural Gas production is expected to jump from 83 bcf per day in 2018 to 90 in 2019. 
  • Global Inventories are expected to continue to increase.  
  • On the clean energy front, coal's role in electrical production continues to decline over the next 2 years. Hydropower's share of generation is projected to remain stable. Wind power electrical generation is expected to outpace hydropower for the first time ever in 2019.
  • Carbon emissions are projected to decline 1.2% in 2019 as well, and a little under 1% for 2020 as it stands now. 

 

Long story short - expect more production, more inventory, lower prices, continued progress and growth on cleaner energy and a decline in carbon emissions - all at the same time. Happy 2019!  

 

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Crude Poised to End 2018 Down 20%

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As we head towards the end of 2018, it looks like oil prices will finish the year out down about 20%. We saw wildly fluctuating energy markets throughout the year, but the fundamental factors of supply and global economic growth concerns kept the downward pressure on pricing over the long term. 

Let's look back at what went on this year and what we are keeping an eye on going forward.

In 2018, the United States stepped to the forefront as the world’s largest producer of Crude oil, outpacing both Russia and Saudi Arabia.

Late in the year, Saudi Arabia and Russia, along with other OPEC and OPEC partner nations, agreed to production cuts starting in 2019, but Russia had a record production month in December, so time will tell if the unofficial deal bears out.

Worth remembering, is the US has no involvement in the supply curbing that is the so-called “OPEC+” deal. Historically, we have seen the Saudi’s reluctant to cut output long term for fear of losing market share.

This becomes even more relevant today than it was two years ago, as US output increases and the US becomes a net exporter for the first time in 70 years.

Essentially, the US has gone from an esoteric threat to market share to a very real one, and there is reason to believe that this may affect how the OPEC+ agreement is adhered to (or not) through 2019.

Another factor that can affect day to day swings on the NYMEX is the performance of the stock market. As we’re all aware through this year the market was hitting all new highs, then crashing, and generally bouncing around  (the analysts are writing off this weeks one day gains as a “suckers rally” – ouch!). Stocks obviously are impacted by both the at-large economy and the ramifications of political actions and their accompanying sentiments.

To put it politely, the US political arena right now is very... let's call it “exciting”, so it would probably be wise to anticipate an ongoing roller coaster with stocks – what we don’t know is how that could carry over on energy pricing in the long term.

The other ball in the air is the current Government shut down – prior shut downs were less than devastating in terms of any significant or lasting price impacts on energy – however, we wont know if that is the case with this one until it’s over. Right now there is know way of knowing how long the shutdown will last, obviously the longer it goes on, the more impact it has on federal employees, programs, and citizens. When it will end is anyone’s guess.

Lots to keep an eye on as we round into 2019. Have an awesome holiday, hope to see you all in the New Year!

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Markets Reverse on Strong Demand Signals

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Markets reversed in a big way today, with front month WTI Crude surging 3% after yesterdays 7.3% decline. At time of writing, both diesel and gas are up (ULSD +.0447, RBOB +.0307)

According to the experts, today's reversal is largely based on demand level optimism on refined products. The DOE indicated that distillate inventories dropped by 4.2 million barrels, a sharp contrast to the half a million barrel build analysts had predicted. Diesel demand is at levels not seen since early 2003.

Despite today's jump it's important to remember that prices are still very low overall - both Crudes (Brent & WTI) are down over 30% since the end of September. The strong indicators for refined product demand also don't do much to address the larger issue weighing on prices, namely, global supply levels and overall global economic concerns as they relate to demand. 

The OPEC+ deal wont be in effect until the beginning of 2019, and current production levels are high. Saudi Arabia is anticipating lower global supply levels by the end of March, but their statement on the matter hasn't done much to slow the overall trend of plummeting prices. 

 Economically, the US is doing well but there are concerns that the Fed's response to strong economic growth - raising interest rates yet again may put a damper on growth pace going forward. This concern may or not be borne out, however, as recent rate increases have seemingly been absorbed without catastrophe. It may very well have short term impacts on both the NYMEX and financial markets, however.

The Fed is expected to make a rate hike announcement this afternoon, we will have to wait and see what those impacts are, and how much staying power they have.  

Stay tuned. 

 

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NYMEX Plummets on Renewed Fears of Supply Glut

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Futures are crashing on the NYMEX today, with WTI down around 5% thus far on the day, around the $48/bbl mark, on track to potentially close out at a 15 month low. Refined products are tanking as well, at time of writing, ULSD is off .0472 & RBOB is down .0341

So what's going on?

Once again, it appears the sell off is based on concerns of global oversupply, with the headline being that Russia is reportedly increasing output. The hike could put them at close to 11.5 million barrels per day, according to MarketWatch. 

You may recall that earlier this month prices spiked on the announcement that Russia & OPEC nations were agreeing to cut production by a combined 1.2 million barrels (here's a refresher: OPEC+ Agreement Spikes NYMEX)

Apparently, Russia has changed its mind. 

Along with the news about Russian production (unconfirmed news, for the record) the US has reportedly been upping shale production by more than what analysts had predicted, and globally, it looks like China is potentially poised for a slow down in demand growth, which is also weighing on prices. 

The EIA inventory reports due out later this week may impact whether the decline backs off or continues. Platts is predicting inventory draws on Crude & Distillates, so if they are wrong, we can expect some more downward movement on the EIA release.... theoretically anyways.  

Stay tuned!

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OPEC+ Production Agreement Spikes NYMEX

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OPEC, as well as the so called "OPEC+" partners have reached a tentative agreement on production cuts, causing the oil market to spike Friday. The cuts reportedly amount to 800,000 bpd on OPEC's part, and an additional 400,000 bpd (combined) from allied nations, including Russia. No specific cuts by country were committed to, or at least they were not confirmed in statements. 

The agreement reached purportedly contains "special considerations" for Venezuela, Libya and Iran. These 3 nations have been up and down in terms of supply levels as a result of domestic turmoil, and their revenue concerns obviously differ from those of nations like Saudi Arabia, so concessions for their agreement presumably needed to be made to get the deal done. No word yet on precisely what those concessions are.  

This morning the market was up 5% on Brent Crude, and 4% on WTI shortly after the open. At time of writing,(noon) both RBOB and Diesel are up almost 7 cents. 

What's interesting about the spike today is that the tentatively agreed to cuts are right in line with what analysts expected to see (estimates were 1-1.5mmb, and the agreement came in at 1.2), which should have meant it was already "priced in" but Wednesday & Thursdays' markets don't bear out that assumption. 

Time will tell if this particular OPEC related jump is temporary & speculative, as they often are, or if the production cut agreement will have its intended goal of propping crude at desired benchmarks and holding up the increases going forward. 

Stay Tuned! 

 

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Dow Collapse Pushes Prices Down Despite Storm & Supply Concerns

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Despite earlier in the week price increases on global supply concerns (Iran), and Hurricane Michael making landfall in the Florida Pan handle in the afternoon, Wednesday saw oil prices slump 2% on intraday trading.

Despite the fact that both of those variables usually push prices up, the catastrophic day for the US markets Wednesday overall pulled energy prices down with the ship, so to speak. The Dow Jones was down over 800 points yesterday, seemingly for no clear reason. (Currently, as of writing, the Dow is down slightly today, while the Nasdaq is up slightly).

Hurricane Michael is currently tracking through the Carolina's on its way back out to sea and has been downgraded to a tropical storm, which minimizes further supply interruption concerns. 

The energy markets today are again trending downward, as of 12:30 diesel was down over 4 and gas was down over 6. 

The EIA report this morning showed builds on Crude higher than analysts expected, with inventories up 5.98 million barrels. (projections were a 2 million barrel build). Both gasoline and distillates showed builds as well (951K barrels and 42K barrels, respectively) when projections showed both would be draws.

Presumably that looks good for continuing downward price pressure on refined products, but you never know. 

At the close yesterday, ULSD settled at 2.3949 (-.0289), RBOB at 2.0204 (-.0570) and Crude closed at $73.17. Today, as mentioned, we are trending down as well so we look to hold steady below the $2 & $75 benchmarks for the week.

(as an aside, the exchange platform is a great way to capture market drops like the ones we saw today and yesterday, if you would like more information on how to utilize that buying option, reach out to your rep or contact us via the site)

Stay Tuned!

 

 

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Projected Draws & Hurricane Fears Push Prices Higher

The Carolina's are bracing for a potentially "once in a lifetime" strength Hurricane and evacuations are already underway. Hurricane Florence is expected to make landfall Friday at a category 4, with the preceding rain & storm surge expected to begin early Thursday. 

This is the current projected map (courtesy of googlemaps), although the storm may shift substantially any time prior to landfall. You can track live on CNN.com. 

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On the markets side, there are obviously concerns about supply disruptions. At the moment pipelines are running but there are anticipated planned outages in affected areas over the next several days. 

Tuesday saw refined products jump across the board, including an over 5 cent leap on RBOB.

At Tuesdays close we were $2.2520 (+0342) on ULSD, $2.0142 (+.0550) RBOB, and $69.25 Crude. 

This morning we are seeing modest gains thus far. The API is projecting draws, but we will have to wait and see if the EIA data backs that up.

Obviously, changes in hurricane direction and severity will have impacts, we will update you on relevant changes as we get them.

Stay safe out there!

 

 

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OPEC Concerns Trump EIA Numbers to Drop Crude Prices

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Oil was down today as the market weighed out OPEC speculation on one hand, and a drop in US Crude inventories on the other.

OPEC concerns seem to have won the day, given the drop in the face of an EIA report indicating a 3.4mmb drop (projections were 2.3mmb drop), some of which is presumably attributable to the Keystone pipeline leak & subsequent supply diversions.

Refined products showed builds of 2.7mmb on distillates, 3.6 mmb on gas. (projections were 230K and 1.3mmb, respectively).

OPEC is set to meet tommorow (Thursday) in Vienna to discuss extending production cuts through the end of 2018. 

The current deal keeps 1.8mmb/day off the global markets via production cuts, and is set to expire in March but a new agreement would extend it through December. The running assumption was that it would be a no brainer to extend, but surprise, surprise, a few days out from the meeting and Russia had not yet agreed on anything. Thoughts are they may argue for a shorter agreement or push for renegotiation closer to the March expiration.

What does this all mean?

The assumption in the market currently has been that the OPEC deal extension is essentially "priced in" already. What that means is that failing a 9 month extension, we could see the recent gains evaporate rather quickly and see crude prices dip, with WTI falling back at or below the $50 benchmark, or even lower than that if there is no deal at all. 

From OPEC/Russia's side of the aisle, an agreement on production cut extension to bolster pricing may be met with continued increase in US domestic production, which could both offset gains and damage their market share in the long view. That position is somewhat supported by rebounding US production levels & refinery utilization rates. 

Last week we saw WTI close out at a high of $58.02, but it has receeded over the past few sessions, closing today out at $57.30. ULSD & RBOB tumbled today as well, with ULSD dropping .0286 to 1.9221 and RBOB dropping .0411 to 1.7309. 

Stay tuned!

 

 

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EIA Long Term Projections Dampen Inventory Effects

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WTI was in the red today ahead of the EIA inventory report.

API projections were that Crude would show builds of 3.1mmb - of note on this is API was an outlier of sorts, Platts forecasted draws of 400K barrels ahead of the official reporting.

Internationally, IEA Forecasts for global oil demand growth remained at 1.6m bpd, so flat demand growth amid the continued oversupply that doesnt seem to have much of an end in sight, long term picture wise. 

Anyhow, the official EIA report showed a draw down in Crude of 2.8mmb for the week ending 10/6. Gasoline was up 2.5mmb and distillates were down 1.5mmb. Gasoline had been projected to be down 1.4mmb, so the drop off we saw on gasoline today makes sense given the actuals. 

Side note - the EIA Report showed builds in Nat Gas of 87 billion cubic feet, right in line with Platts projections. The market was essentially unchanged on the builds, presumably because it makes sense there would be a temporary bump in inventories given temperatures havent dropped off, so demand should be low.Usually in New England we are well into the battle to keep the heat off til November 1 by now - this year not so much. I still have my air conditioner in the window.  

Gulf Refineries are back online and at capacity after temporary shut downs for Hurricane Nate, which probably is a factor in pushing pricing down as well in the face of flat demand.

In addition to the U.S. being back fully functional, EIA forecasts put U.S. domestic crude production at 9.9mmb per day for 2018 which would be the highest on average in U.S. history. Continued domestic production is seen as being a factor that will offset moves by OPEC or other nations to push a pricing rally. Theoretically, a rally cannot be sustained long term globally if the U.S. keeps production levels rising. We'll have to wait and see on that. 

The official numbers we closed out at this afternoon were: ULSD 1.7655 (-.0206), Gas 1.5832 (-.0260) and Crude landed right around the benchmark at $50.60

Thats all for today!

 

 

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EIA Draws Keep NYMEX Boosted; Venezuelan Vote & Sanctions Loom

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Today, the NYMEX continued it's winning streak - At the end of the day, we settled up across the board yet again, with Crude settling out at $48.75/bbl (+1.7%), ULSD climbed +.0268 to $1.5953 and RBOB edged up +.02111 to $1.6173. 

Yesterday we talked about the OPEC production & export factors affecting the market, as well as projected slow downs in domestic oil & gas exploration. (For a refresher, you can peruse yesterdays article here: 2017s Largest One Day Rally Hits on OPEC & US Production Projections ) 

Today, while API projections called for a 10.23mmb draw in Crude, the EIA Inventory Report showed an actual draw of 7.2mmb. Current Crude levels are now around 483.4 mmb, or the upper end of average for this time of year. For finished products, distillates drew down 1.9mmb but are still on the upper end of what we normally see for average levels, while on gasoline, projections were calling for a build of 1.9mmb but actuals showed a draw of 1mmb. 

In broader news that can potentially have huge ("YUGE!") market impacts, the Trump administration has floated the possibility of a ban on Venezuelan Crude as a U.S. response to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, should he choose to go forward with rewriting the country's constitution, in what the United States sees as a move to clamp down on opposition. The vote on rewriting the country's constitution is expected Sunday, and Platts is reporting that the U.S. Treasury department is crafting sanctions currently. 

At the same time however, even as the Treasury works out the details, it appears the Administration has already backed off of the idea after looking at its potential impacts. They are now hinting at more targeted sanctions than an overall ban, but that would still likely create some serious aftershocks in the market.

Venezuela is the third largest supplier of imported Crude oil to the United States (after Canada and Saudi Arabia), and supplies a huge percentage of the Crude refined in the Gulf Coast.

A ban could be devastating for US refiners and importers, and even simply not taking the option off the table could impact the markets in a drastic way over the next few days, particularly if the option remains even theoretically possible on Monday after the vote takes place (its expected to be a "show vote" with Maduro's desired outcome essentially 100% certain).

Definitely something to keep an eye on that could drastically change the supply and pricing picture as we know it.

Stay tuned!  

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2017s Largest Rally Hits on OPEC & US Production Projections

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Today saw oil prices have the biggest one day rally of 2017 thus far, with WTI Crude surging up 3.3% ($1.55) to settle out at $47.89/bbl. Likewise, refined products surged, with ULSD jumping over 5 cents (+.0516) to 1.5685, and gasoline jumped +.0394 to settle at 1.5962.

So whats going on?

On the global news front, at an OPEC gathering in Russia on Monday, Saudi Arabia pledged to cut Crude exports beginning in August, and Nigeria stated it will cap its production at 1.8 million barrels per day. (WTI closed out up 1.3% at $46.34 on the day Monday immediately following the news. ULSD settled up as well but by a mere 17 points to $1.5169, while gasoline dropped 65 points to close out at $1.5568.)

An important note pointed out by Market Watch regarding the OPEC news, however - its not unusual for the Saudis to drop exports this time of year, and the "cuts" promised by Nigeria are actually at levels higher than they are producing at the moment (they will cap at 1.8mmb and they are currently producing 1.6mmb) so its likely that this news was another somewhat nothing-to-it story out of OPEC that caused a (presumably temporary) jump on the NYMEX, as most OPEC meetings seem to do. 

Today was likely impacted more from domestic news and forecasts than the OPEC news of yesterday. Cuts are looming in the Oil & Gas sector in the U.S., which signals an oncoming slow down in domestic output. Anadarko, one the nations leading oil & gas exploration companies cut investment guidance by $300 million for 2017 after posting losses for the second quarter of over $415 million, or roughly twice estimates. Add this to Halliburton's forecasts for flat to declining rig counts, and projected crude draws on this weeks EIA reporting and you had the perfect storm in place for todays rally. 

 

 

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U.S. Inventory Projections Slow Today's NYMEX Losses

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The oil markets were down sharply this morning on increasing cynicism that, essentially, global supply will not be driven down sufficiently by either OPEC or "non-cartel" producer production caps, or the summer driving season in the U.S. being upon us (despite the weather here in Boston, technically yes, its summer driving season). 

It would seem that the prior rally was a knee jerk reaction to what basically amounted to a baseless hope that somehow OPEC and other producers would be setting limits that actually addressed the ongoing supply glut, and therefore the lackluster pricing. It was unlikely that would be the case, given that the prior meetings we have seen, despite the hoopla, have also failed to address supply in a meaningful way. 

Despite promising to address the fundamentals involved, we've actually seen some ramp up in production on the part of Libya, Nigeria and Iran - none of which had any sort of ceiling placed on them at the recent gathering. 

We often talk about other countries production as being an unpredictable factor in global pricing & supply, however, it's worth noting that U.S. production has ramped back up substantially as well. Current production is around 9.3 million barrels a day (up over 6% from this time last year) and on the rise.Given this, it's not likely we will see OPEC seriously curb their levels, particularly the Saudi's, as the concern over U.S. encroachment on their market share has been inarguably a major driving factor in the current glut and its failure to resolve. Saudi Arabia has been beyond clear that they are prepared to hunker down and withstand whatever price declines are necessary for market share retention, particularly as concerns the U.S. At this point, it's pretty clear they are not bluffing about that. 

Anyhow - Today, unlike last Thursday's wild plunge,has pared losses as the day goes on, while investors factor in the near term projections on U.S. supply reports (due out tommorow, thanks to the holiday) versus the overall global supply picture.

Platts is projecting a draw down of 3.2 million barrels of crude on tommorow's reports, which would be the 8th week in a row, and definitely helped to stem the bleeding today on the NYMEX by close.

At the close we ended out with Crude at $48.32/bbl, July ULSD at 1.5179 (-.0356) and July Gas at 1.5965 (-0278). 

Stay tuned! 

 

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Benchmarks & OPEC & Hurricanes, Oh My

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Crude closed out today at over $50 ($50.44 to be exact) which is the highest close we've seen since June. ULSD closed up .0135 to $1.5958 and RBOB ended up .0050 at $1.4978.

This week the NYMEX has ticked up steadily on all products, holding firm since OPEC announced they had a tentative agreement in Algiers, despite said agreement not being formalized in any way.

Additionally, this weeks EIA inventory report indicated more product draws as well, which pumped prices almost 2% Wednesday. Analysts had projected builds, but the governments official reporting showed US Crude stockpiles dropped 3 million barrels versus the expected a 2.5 million barrel build forecast by industry projections. 

Despite OPEC chatter and EIA draws, its entirely possible we have already seen an outsized pricing build up on commodities, given that the global demand picture is not an overly rosy one, and supply is not in any way guaranteed to either stabilize or drop anytime in the near future - with or without an OPEC agreement. 

Today (and probably tommorow) whats trending in the news is Hurricane Matthew, which is roaring up the East Coast of Florida currently as a category 4 storm, and would be the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the US in about a decade if it should touch down at its current intensity.

We're hearing reports of local gas outages in the Southeast, as residents flee the coastal areas on the advice of Florida governmer Rick Scott and President Obama. However, given that as its currently tracking, Hurricane Matthew is East Coast centered, versus hitting the Gulf, national or regional supply outages are not anticipated. Obviously all of that could change essentially instantaneously however, and we will let you know what we do, as soon as we do, if there are new relevant developments.

 Stay tuned!

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OPEC "Deal" and Inventory Draws Prop Up NYMEX

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On Wednesday, OPEC countries made a surprise agreement to cap production at 32.5-33 million BPD at their meeting in Algiers (if you’re keeping score at home, current production is about 33.24mmb.. insert yawn here, in other words). This marked the first deal since 2008, largely on account of Saudi-Iranian tensions – more on that later. Oil spiked on the news before backing off slightly over the remainder of the week.

 

Wednesday saw Brent and WTI both surge up over 5% (5.9 and 5.3, respectively). Wednesday ended the day up across the board, with refined products ULSD and RBOB both up over 8 cents on the day (ULSD $1.4910; RBOB $1.4777) and WTI closed out at $47.05/bbl.

 

Analysts are projecting that the OPEC “deal” could add up to $10/bbl to the price of oil. However it is worth noting that there is a reason we put “deal” in quotes – as we have seen previously OPEC is not shy on talking up oil prices, but when it comes to an across the board agreement and even more importantly, ACTION, on said agreements, the jury is still out. Watch for the ongoing standoff slash game of chicken between the Iranians and the Saudi’s to likely cause this so called deal to amount to little more than a few days of upward trending on the screen versus actual, actionable changes to the fundamental supply glut we still find ourselves in.

 

Thursday saw prices continue to climb on distillates, although in a much less drastic fashion as bigger picture doubts about the OPEC deal set in – these were somewhat offset by another draw down in U.S. inventory levels, however, and as a result we saw ULSD gain $0.0192 to close out at $1.5102, RBOB dropped $0.0109 to close out at $1.4668, while Crude settled relatively flatly at $47.83.

 

The EIA report Thursday indicated a 1.9mmb draw down in commercial crude inventories, more than double the API’s projection of a 752K draw, and the fourth draw down in as many weeks. Distillates mirrored crude, also drawing down 1.9mmb, but gasoline saw a build of 2 million barrels to buck the trend.  The timing worked out well on the inventory draws as far as price stability is concerned, given that by the hour the hope for the OPEC agreement amounting to actual supply cuts fades.

Despite the clear incentive for Riyadh and Tehran to bolster their economies and Thursday’s announcement by the Saudis that they are willing to cap production, it’s almost unimaginable that Iran agrees to cuts post sanction lifting, as has been the case for the past several months.

 

Today we saw October trading expire (doesn’t seem possible!) and November trading kept products range bound with WTI closing out at $48.24, up against yesterday’s number. ULSD closed up as well, settling up $0.0281 for November trading at $1.5383, with gasoline again bucking the trend and settling down 37 points to $1.4631.

 

We ought to in theory see either movement on OPEC next week, or see the market shed the bump in pricing. Longer term, it will be interesting to see how things settle out over the next few weeks as we start heading towards the winter and heating oil season – hopefully a colder one than last year’s, at least up here in the Northeast.  

 

Stay Tuned!

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Dramatic Inventory Drawdowns Pump Up Prices

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Crude jumped on today’s inventory report after jumping up on the overnights last night as well. Post close yesterday, the API numbers were indicating significant draws and the EIA release backed that projection up.
The EIA report this morning indicated that Crude inventories dropped by 14.5 million barrels for last week, which is the biggest drop we’ve seen this millennium (since 1999).
Analysts are partly blaming the effects of Hermine on the Gulf Coast delaying production and explaining the draw down in stocks.  
Gasoline stocks also dropped, by 4.5 million barrels, and also unexpectedly.
Today closed out up across the board, with diesel up .0557 to $1.4822, Gas up .0701 to $1.4165 and Crude closing out at $47.62. (significantly up from yesterday’s Crude settle of $45.50)
An interesting aside on gasoline’s jump today was that the lowest Labor Day retail gasoline prices in 12 years were seen this past weekend, and if you jump online there are literally dozens of articles projecting that the post summer driving season price levels for gasoline will drop below $2 per gallon. It’s more likely than not that these articles are correct versus today’s inventory and price rebound. Nothing has changed fundamentally with either Crude or gasoline in terms of long term supply and demand outlooks (despite some new rumblings about Russia and Saudi Arabia, as usual).

Stay tuned!

 

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Dwindling OPEC Agreement Hopes Reverse Rally

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August has been all over the place. Crude futures this month were up 23% in less than 3 weeks as of the 28th. We've bounced from an August 10th low of $41.71 to an August 19th a high of $48.52 -  and today we’re in the middle at $46.35.

So what’s going on?

Last week, optimism reigned. Longs were up and shorts were way down across the board on WTI, RBOB and U.S. ULSD. Citigroup and BOA/ML were saying the global glut is diminishing based on the narrowing Brent discount we were seeing. That was reflected in last week’s rally but we saw that rally reverse yesterday as hopes backed off on just how quickly we might see that supply glut fade.

So what caused the overabundance of hope in just how quickly the supply glut could fade?

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: OPEC countries are set to meet September 26-28th in Algiers for “informal talks” in which the Saudis are reportedly “prepared to listen” to the input of the other OPEC nations in regards to agreeing on output caps to curb global oversupply. This drove the market higher on hopes of an agreement propping up pricing longer term, but hopes on any such agreement coming to fruition have begun to drop off.

Déjà vu all over again.

If you recall, the last OPEC meeting had a similarly framed narrative and a similarly bullish impact on the markets a few weeks out from the meeting before falling off, as it became clear that the conference would fail to produce a deal. There was no agreement on output cuts last go around largely because of Saudi insistence that Iran be a full participant in agreeing to output limits, which the newly un-sanctioned Iran obviously refused to agree to.  Given the dynamic there has not changed substantially it’s hard to imagine that a meaningful deal is reached this time either.  

That seems to be the conclusion that traders reached as well just like leading up to the prior meeting. Today saw Crude close out at $46.35, down marginally from Monday’s close but over a dollar down from Friday’s $47.64. (ULSD and RBOB followed suit, dropping -.0151 and -.0186 respectively for August trading)

What’s becoming interesting about the other dynamics involved in the OPEC meetings is Russia realistically needs an agreement sooner rather than later. While they are not in Venezuela style meltdown yet, a huge portion of their revenue depends on oil and the ongoing standoff with the Saudis on over production for market share retention will presumably hit breaking point at some time, as both Russia and Saudi Arabia hemorrhage money.

Meanwhile, it looks like long term the supply situation may correct itself, and largely courtesy of the Russia/Saudi standoff, somewhat ironically. Bloomberg is reporting that oil discoveries have plummeted to lows not seen in over half a century as a result of ongoing price depression that has halted new discoveries by severely curbing investment in drilling and exploration. This is especially notable in the U.S. where exploration is at multi year lows after the crash in prices from 2014 highs.

So although this OPEC meeting is unlikely to produce an agreement to cut supply and stabilize pricing this time, in an odd twist of fate, ultimately the ongoing standoff may push long term pricing up over time regardless of OPEC input.

Stay tuned!

 

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OPEC & Inventories Close Out August NYMEX in Bearish Territory

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After a strong start to the month of July post Brexit, markets settled down again today after closing out August's futures yesterday. 

Today's close saw Crude touching the $40/bbl mark at $40.06/bbl, this coming just a few weeks after it appeared we had essentially rebalanced and analysts were looking at Crude staying range bound $45-$50 bbl. Now we are, according to some analysts, looking at a $38 target.

The last week of July delivered a few knocks courtesy of Reuters who reported on 7/29 that OPEC had produced 100,000 additional barrels per day in July, the increases coming from Iraq and Nigeria. If you recall, Nigeria has been dealing with militia attacks on its oil refineries and recently hit 20-year lows on levels of export.

Incidentally, those Nigerian refinery attacks had pushed Crude to over $50 ($51.23 to be exact) in June, its highest since July 2015 - and now we are seeing Crude start to slide back to April lows after July 2016 saw a drop of over 15%. To put that in perspective, we are still up almost 50% from the low for this year in February but it does appear that once again the bears are in sell mode due to perceived oversupply.

(And keep in mind that "oversupply" is with a Nigeria that has not fully recovered capacity, and with domestic turmoil in Venezuela and Libya limiting their production as well. Essentially - the glut could get a lot worse, very quickly, depending on how the domestic situations play out in those 3 OPEC countries.) 

This summer saw seasonal gasoline stockpiles hit 25 year highs, which according to reports, caused refiners to begin blending winter grade gasoline early. Ironically, refiners made a similar decision in the face of lower winter demand and began blending summer gas early this year, and that is probably partially to blame for high inventories that plagued pricing this summer season. Also of note is that due to these inventory levels, forward market pricing for gasoline was not showing the usual slide that precedes the switch to winter blend gasoline (often of around 20 cents or thereabouts) we normally see starting to develop right around the end of July. 

At the end of the day, despite production disruptions in Canada and Nigeria, anticipated economic fallout from Brexit, more terrorist attacks, and dropping domestic production - supplies have gone from what looked like a rebalancing to oversupply once again. This has kicked the NYMEX back to the bearish side, which still sort of amazing when you think about how sharply a single one of the events just mentioned could have spiked the market prior to the US shale boom.

Stay tuned!

 

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BREXIT Surprise Sends Financial, Oil Markets Reeling

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Yesterday traders across the globe were all but certain that Britain would never vote to leave the EU. As a result we saw confidence in the markets, including oil.

100% of those traders were apparently incorrect. 

Today we saw Japan shut down trading, the pound lose over 15%, oil markets tumble and Wall Street get hammered. The Dow closed down 600 points today, the worst day since 2011 - all of this in the wake of Britain indeed voting to leave the European Union. 

On the commodities side, while gold and the dollar went up, WTI slipped 4.9% (over $2/bbl)  to close out at $47.64. Gasoline tumbled $.0785 to $1.5250, and ULSD dropped $.0653 to $1.4553.

So what now?

Many analysts think that oil prices will rebalance and stabilize given the UK is essentially irrelevant to global oil demand, and therefore pricing.

Others caution however that this move by Britain may signal rough waters ahead for the European Union and its economic growth - and therefore oil demand, which could increase supply versus demand. 

With the British pound's slip comes a necessarily strengthening dollar, which would argue aginst a precipitous slide in oil prices, given the backdrop that production and demand issues aren't, at least in the near term, greatly impacted by the Brexit vote. (Backdrop being U.S. Rig counts are still by and large declining with the exception of a few pop ups, the new Saudi Oil minister is still seen by many as a step forward in market stability, etc etc...). However, its also likely the dollar is extra overpriced today simply because of its strength relative to the pound, which ought to also rebalance - at least in theory.

After one hell of a suprise Friday - Next week should be an interesting one on the markets, to say the least. 

Enjoy the weekend, everyone. If you need us, give us a shout. 

 

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Crude Breaks $51 on Nigerian Explosions, US Inventories

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Crude closed out at $51.23 this afternoon, the highest it’s been since July 2015, up from yesterday and holding firm over the $50 benchmark.  

Today’s climb can be pinned on the EIA’s inventory report, which again showed draws in Crude but also on supply disruptions from ongoing rebellion in Nigeria.

In Nigeria, the Delta Avenger group has continued militant action by not simply rejecting proposed settlement talks with the Nigerian government, but blowing up a refinery. The group has brought Nigeria’s oil production and export to 20 year lows according to CNBC – something the struggling and vastly oil-export-dependent country can ill afford, especially given the global price slide of the past two years.

Interestingly, despite the stockpile draws in today’s EIA report, it appears that US domestic Crude production actually edged up by 10,000bpd – this contrasts rather sharply with the beginning of the month where we saw US production languishing at its lowest levels since 2014.

Distillates and gasoline both built this past week, despite projected draws. They closed up alongside Crude – both edging over 2 cents – gas at .0327 and diesel up .0290. Gasoline’s build was a shocker considering “driving season” is officially in gear, but none the less today’s market moves did not reflect the builds… yet.

Last week, the May jobs report roiled markets temporarily after it came in abysmally low – the lowest since 2010. However, things settled out relatively quickly since the report all but guaranteed a rate hike would not be pushed through by the Fed yet, which was good news for Wall Street and also resulted in the 5 year low on the dollar we saw, as built in anticipation of a hike was shed.

The fact is with range bound jumps on inventory, economic data, world events, we may be seeing evidence that the market is hitting a point of stability. How long that lasts is anyone’s guess however. As they say “the trend is your friend” and we’ve been trending upward – but it’s important to remember the big picture and outstanding potential factors. For example, last month’s OPEC meeting in Vienna did literally ZERO in terms of addressing the supply glut. We also still have an Iran hell bent on juicing exports to the max. However, we also have a Venezuela on the verge of collapse, refinery sabotage in Nigeria, and a Chinese economy that may be covertly cooling down a lot quicker than they’ll admit.

Stay tuned!

 

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Today's Tumble Offsets a Quieter Week for Crude

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Before todays across the board tumble, the markets had been rather stable this week, comparatively speaking, even in the wake of several major relevant news events and economic reports. Let's start it from the top: 

Initially helping the markets, especially Wall Street - Fed Chair Janet Yellen's comments this Wednesday stated that the Fed would be cautious moving forward, particularly on the subject of inflation, as it keeps an eye on possible foreign market pressures and the extremely mixed-signals economic data that has come out over the past few months. Historically, March jobless numbers come in 40-50K below projections oftentimes, so her comments earlier this week were also seen as a possible hedge against concerns about Wall Street's reaction to Fed policy in the event of a less than stellar jobs report (which did not come to fruition - more on that later). 

The Fed comments didn't help the Dollar on the day, however, which helped keep commodities flat after builds, albeit smaller than expected builds, in U.S. stockpiles. 

Regarding those builds -  Wednesday's weekly EIA Inventory report showed Crude built less than analysts had projected (2.3 mmb versus 3.3mmb projected). Initially Crude was up 2.5% on the reporting, with WTI hitting $39.30 and Brent cracking $40 at $40.17 shortly after.

However, at the close, WTI settled within a penny of the prior day's close at $38.32. ULSD and Gas also showed draws, 2.5mmb on gasoline (which was close to projections), and ULSD drew down 1.1mmb versus a projected 29K build. Both ended the day relatively flat alongside Crude, with ULSD closing at April $1.1597/May $1.1721, and gasoline April $1.4364/May $1.4661.

The major news is the continuing speculation over the OPEC/Non-OPEC meeting (supposedly) coming in April that could result in an agreement on a production freeze in order to stabilize global oil prices.

However, the lingering question has been whether or not Iran would agree to freezing production after the sanctions against the country have just been lifted. It appears more certain by the day that the answer to that question is "NO". The Saudi Oil Minister Thursday night stated that if Iran will not agree to the freeze, basically there will not be one. This of course came on the heels of Iran insisting earlier in the week that it can, and will, consider going back to pre-sanction production levels. 

Personal opinion - there will most likely not be a freeze. In my humble opinion the markets got far too excited and bought too deeply into what, at least to this point, has essentially been rumor and wishful thinking. The ramp up in pricing we've seen over the past few weeks, with WTI breaking $40/bbl (very briefly) is largely a response to the hopes pinned on the OPEC meeting and a belief they will freeze production -a belief that is most likely not founded in reality, but time will tell. If nothing else, the rumors have temporarily "stemmed the bleeding" for major producers, not a terrible end in and of itself from their perspective. 

Thursday was uneventful, with WTI settling 2 cents over prior at $38.34. It was the expiration of April trading, obviously, and May ULSD and Gasoline closed out at $1.1855 and $1.4467, respectively.   

This morning we saw that the  Friday Jobs report pessimism/conspiracy theorism discussed earlier turned out to be for naught.  Analysts had projected gains of 205K jobs for March and the government data came out with a gain of 215K, leaving the unemployment rate at 4.9%. 

The good news is, that's a great jobs number. The bad news for commodities is that number serves to further prop the dollar up, as it maintains the highest level its held versus the Euro in a little over 6 months. (This despite the dollar's slip on Wednesday). 

Both the dollar and stock markets were up today on the strong Jobs report as well as encouraging data from the Manufacturing sector, indicating continuing economic strengthening in the U.S.

Oil however, took a 4% tumble on both a stronger dollar, and (as previously mentioned) increasing skepticism on the OPEC deal. Skepticism on the deal grew exponentially today, after the Saudi Crown Prince today echoed his Oil Minister's earlier sentiments about a needed consensus including Iran in order for a production freeze to become material. 

Baker Hughes rig count today indicated Crude rigs dropped 10, and overall rig count dropped by 14 to a new record low of 450, but oil continued to trend downward. 

At the Close, Crude settled out at $36.79 (-$1.55), ULSD tumbled .0538 to $1.1317 and gas fell .0451 to $1.4016

 

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Surprise Move by Iran on OPEC Deal Rallies CRUDE

Middle Eastern Nations flags in a circle around an oil drilling rig

In a suprise move today, the oil minister of Iran stated that Iran would support the effort by OPEC and non-OPEC countries to stabilize the oil market and oil prices. The now-confirmed rumor that the Saudis and Russians were amenable to agreeing on a production ceiling has been circulating for a while, and served to briefly prop prices Tuesday - but the lack of a solid agreement, and the assumption that Iran would not cooperate had backed prices off their intraday highs. 

Today however, was another story entirely. After the Iranian minister announced the intent to cooperate, we saw WTI surge nearly 6% to once again close above the $30 dollar mark at $30.66 - quite a reversal in a short time when you consider that just last Thursday we saw WTI's lowest close since 2003 ($26.21/bbl)! 

ULSD and RBOB came along for the ride today as well, with ULSD jumping over 6 cents to $1.0879, and gasoline closed up over $1 again (barely) at $1.0034, a gain of over 3 cents on the day. Gasoline has been dancing around slightly under the $1 mark over the past week or so, with the exception of Friday's rally where it jumped over 10 cents to $1.0432.

It's difficult to determine if the nebulous "agreement to have an agreement" on the table with OPEC and other producers will sustain a longer term rally. Even if there is an agreement, it isn't clear just how much of a rally it will bolster long term, since the production ceiling sets production at January levels (read: unsustainably high for higher prices levels), it doesnt actually drop production.

That said, Iran not ramping up production will likely help matters in terms of at least mitigating some of what has been ever-increasing supply. Another concern though, should prices stabilize at higher levels - what impact does that have on rig counts and U.S. production? Although dropping rig counts have not proven to be the bullish signal they would normally be, a rising rig count could be a bearish symbol should the market stabilize around the $40/bbl mark, in my opinion, as it may signal the U.S. kicking over the first domino and restarting the game of chicken for "market share by means of over production" the major producing nations have been playing for the past year and a half.  

Time will tell. EIA numbers are not out until Friday this week because of the holiday - it will be interesting to see what impacts they have in the face of a possibly changing global supply picture. 

Stay tuned!

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CRUDE Rallies Despite Record Inventories

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Another wild week!

Friday we saw March diesel settle at $1.0787 (a far cry from last Mondays $.09353!), and gas closed out at at $1.1031. Crude settled at $33.62/bbl, a rebound of nearly 25% from the prior week's 12 year lows ... but at the close yesterday, compared to Friday's numbers, diesel had shed $0.0678, gas was off $0.1023 and Crude settled below $30 once again, at $29.88.

Today we saw almost a full reversal on Crude and Distillates, with diesel back up within .0001 of Friday's number at $1.0786 (+.0677) and Crude back up to $32.28. Gasoline had a modest bounce back to 1.0137 (+.0129) after yesterdays $0.0822 tumble. 

What's interesting about today's rally is that, at least in my humble opinion, it's essentially the rally that shouldn't have been.

Why? Because the EIA report this morning indicated builds that set inventory records for Crude and Gasoline. Crude inventories built 7.8mmb to 502.7mmb for the week ending January 29th. Gasoline was projected by analysts to build 1.7mmb but instead jumped a whopping 5.9mmb to 254.4mmb. Distillates drew down 777K barrels versus the 1.1mmb projected.

Most of the analyst chatter pegs today's gains on the weakening dollar (off almost 1.5% today as of writing), which can make commodities in general a more attractive proposition - generally speaking the two work opposite each other, when one goes up the other goes down. However, factoring in the last year, it's unlikely a non-precipitous drop on the dollar supports a rally of today's magnitude. 

Another factor at play is the continuing rumors about OPEC and non-OPEC countries coming to agreements on supply cuts to bolster prices. Russia has indicated it would be willing to cooperate with the Saudi's on a coordinated approach, as has Iraq.

However, all of the production talk is just that - talk - which has worked for these countries in terms of short term price bumps, but until there is an actual meeting and agreement it's unlikely to have a long term impact.

U.S. Production is also down thus far in 2016, which may be a factor, since with OPEC keeping production ramped up, we become a "swing player" in terms of global (over)supply. The drop in production last week according to the EIA was 7,000 barrels per day however, not really a significant decline in the big picture. 

Long story short, there are multiple factors that multiple sources are hanging their hats on to explain today's rally (myself included) but the overall market is likely to remain bearish, given inventory levels, weak global demand, and the lack of any real concrete indications that production cuts from oil producing nations are actually forthcoming. 

Stay tuned!

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Rally Reverses on Iraq Output, Continuing Glut

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Today saw a swift and decisive reversal of last week's out-of-nowhere rally on Crude, Commodities, and Stocks. Not too surprising, given there were really no changes in fundamentals that justified a rally of the magnitude we saw, outside of the ever present fear of supply disruptions whenever the East Coast faces major snowfall, and the market being technically oversold. 

Let's look at the numbers real quick:

Wednesday: Crude hit an astonishing $26.55/bbl, or as the internet expressed it in meme form - cheaper than a bucket of KFC Chicken (apparently thats $28.75). ULSD settled down over 4 to $0.8657, and RBOB adjusted mildly off 85 points to $1.0177.

Thursday and Friday the rally from nowhere kicked in, with Crude surging 4% Thursday and 9% Friday to close out the week.  ULSD was up 13 cents to finish the week just shy of the $1 benchmark, at $0.9957. RBOB jumped modestly Thursday but jumped up over 5 cents Friday to close out the week at $1.0838.

Today we saw the real correction however.

Iraq announced a new record high output for December at over 4 million bpd. Ironically, given the drop, OPEC announced today that there would be a meeting called (reports are by Qatar) to address "cooperation" from non-OPEC countries in curbing supply to stabilize prices. You read that right - NON-OPEC countries.

The market essentially shrugged off the suggestion, as its improbable to impossible that the US would cooperate, and it's equally unlikely Russia, or anyone else will either, especially if the Saudi's, Iranians, and apparently now the Iraqi's as well  have no intention of backing off their production (and therefore market share). 

To wrap it up, today we saw Crude barely stay above the $30 benchmark, settling at $30.34. ULSD tumbled .0604 to $0.9353 and RBOB dropped .0538 to $1.0300. 

Tommorow the API projections may cause ripples, but the major news will likely be Wednesday's EIA report, barring any unforeseen worldly events, of course. 

How low can we go?

Stay Tuned!

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Crude Hits New Lows After Hopeful Bounce Overnight

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Overnight and early trading on Crude was up - bolstered by the performance of the Chinese Markets (they went up instead of crashing hard enough to trigger the circuit breaker this time). US Stocks, bonds and equities all climbed along, and it looked like today was poised for a rally, or at least the proverbial "dead cat bounce"

However, once the temporary amnesia wore off, Iran coming back online came back into play and the markets took a beating across the board.

WTI Crude closed out at $28.46 - slightly below the $28.50 sub-$30 benchmark some analysts had projected (or more likely hoped) would be the new "bottom". That remains to be seen.

ULSD followed suit with WTI, dropping .0256 to settle at $0.9087, while gas was up 50 points to stay in the $1.02 range ($1.0262 to be precise).

Stocks unfortunately also followed suit with WTI  - as of writing  the Nasdaq, Dow Jones, and S&P are all down - keeping 2016 in the red as it has been thus far. 

The EIA inventories later this week could have a major impact, particularly if there are builds. Most predict draws, but a build on gas could be significant as we could in theory see RBOB follow ULSD below the $1 benchmark. 

Stay Tuned!

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Below $30! Crude, Stocks Crash on Iranian Supply and Weak Economics

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Yesterday we saw a somewhat unexpected rebound on oil prices and the stock market - but it all came crashing down today. Crude has officially closed out under $30 per barrel - settling at $29.42, the lowest it's been in 12 years. RBOB closed off almost 5 to settle at $1.0212 - dangerously close to the $1 threshold, and ULSD continued its slide down another .0465 to $0.9343.

The US stock market followed suit with commodities - by mid day the Dow & S&P were both down 500 points, with the Nasdaq off 3% as well. 

What's going on?

China's markets plunged another 3+% percent overnight, stoking fears of a continuing global oil glut. Also playing on those fears was today's data from the Federal Reserve indicating US Industrial Production (manufacturing, mining, and utilities) dropped again in December, which is the 3rd month in a row. Both of these indicators are extremely worrisome in terms of demand. 

More importantly however, it's about Iran.

Reports are that "implementation day" - when Iran shows compliance with agreement terms and has their sanctions officially lifted, could be as soon as tommorow. Once sanctions are lifted, Iran is expected to start exporting their Crude storage as soon as possible, which pushed traders to sell, sell, sell today - to the tune of a 5% drop in pricing. It also keeps the outlook on Crude bearish, as the global market can ill afford millions more barrels entering supply, especially in the face of weakening demand from the US & China - the worlds two largest energy consumers. 

"Happy" Friday everyone - here's hoping for better news next week!

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Will Crude Break $30? Will RBOB follow ULSD Below $1?

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Yesterday, Crude briefly dipped below $30 per barrel for the first time in 12 years, before closing slightly over at $30.34. Crude was up on the overnights, as a result of the API forecast projecting draws of close to 4mmb.

The EIA report this morning, however, quickly reversed the market trajectory when it showed a build of 230K barrels. A modest increase, but the market registered it as significant in the face of the projected draws - at least initially.

At the close, Crude was essentially flat, up slightly to $30.48/bbl.

Despite the slight edge up today, so far Crude is still down almost 15% since the end of 2015.

On the refined products side, analysts correctly projected builds in gasoline - sort of. The expectation was a build of 1.6mmb but EIA data indicated an astounding build of 8.4mmb which sent RBOB tumbling, especially as it comes on the heels of last weeks 10.6mmb build.

On top of product builds, gasoline consumption is down a little over 4% compared to this time last year, which is also weighing on RBOB. At the close today, gas was down over 3, settling out at $1.0528.

Two weeks ago the debate was would RBOB break $1.10 - now it looks like the question over the next week or so could very well be "will RBOB follow ULSD below a dollar?"

Distillates showed a build of 6.1mmb as well, and this on the heels of ULSD dropping below $1 on the screen, following its drop on the cash markets. Tuesday broke the $1 level - closing down .0248 to $0.9901, and today ULSD shed another 2 to settle at $0.9694.

In addition to the build, distillate consumption was reported as being down 12% versus this time last year, partially as a reflection of the precipitous drop in heating oil usage due to our unseasonably warm weather.

On a macro level, the Chinese economy continues to stumble, and US stocks continue to get battered as they essentially have been since the opening bell of 2016. Today, as of writing, the Dow is down over 300 points, the Nasdaq is down triple digits as well, and the S&P is officially in correction.

Additionally, as mentioned before, the ongoing standoff between the Saudi's and Iranians after severing diplomatic ties ensures that at least for the time being, OPEC production will remain at record levels. Add in the unseasonably warm weather and the drops in demand/consumption across the board, and all of the sudden that "crazy" projection by some that we could see oil in the $20's doesn't seem so crazy after all.

 

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Stocks & Oil Markets Take a Wild Ride Into 2016

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The last day of trading in 2014 saw Crude close out at $53.27/bbl, which was down 45% from the prior year. 2015 continued the trend with WTI dropping another 30% over the year - with December 31, 2015 settling out at $37.04.

This week we crashed down through the $35-36 dollar support levels and are rapidly approaching the next one of $32.50/bbl after todays tumble resulted in Crude closing out at $33.97/bbl.

Let's take a step back and look at what went on this week to push oil prices down 8% since December 31st.

Monday, January 4th, markets initially shot up with ULSD and RBOB both jumping over a nickel by 10am (+.0516 and +.0576, respectively), before almost immediately changing course - both products were down by noon to flat on ULSD and only up .0156 on gas. So what happened?

Monday brought the news that the Saudi's had cut all diplomatic ties with Iran and ordered all Iranian diplomats to leave the country within 24 hours. This was in response to the Kingdom executing 47 people over the New Years weekend, including and most importantly, a renowned Shiite cleric, which prompted riots and vandalism to the Saudi embassies in Iran and Bahrain. 

As the day went on however, the analysis of the story moved from fear of international conflict bumping up cost over supply disruptions, to the realization that the standoff between Iran and Saudi Arabia meant that this could essentially be the death knell for OPEC. As far as the bears see it, this breakdown of relations essentially guarantees the Saudis will not take any moves to cut production in order to stabilize pricing, because to do so would greatly help Iran, in that the newly allowed exports they promise to flood the markets with would generate them much more revenue. 

Economic data from China Monday supports the bears as well. It was a factor in pushing down oil prices, as well as being responsible for crushing European markets and resulting in the single worst year opening for the Dow Jones since 1932. Overnight, Chinese stocks crashed over 7% and led to a halt in trading across the board - a halt that didnt come soon enough not to pummel stocks internationally. One can only hope the old Wall Street adage "As goes January, so goes the year" is wrong this time. 

There was some bouncing around Tuesday, particularly on the overnights as investors and analysts weighed the API projections that predicted draws in Crude stocks to be announced Wednesday. However, today's EIA report showed just the opposite, and swiftly tanked the market across the board. At the close, ULSD lost -.0446 to settle at 1.0807, RBOB shed almost ten cents (-.0949) to close at 1.1618 (very close to the $1.10 support level) and Crude settled down $2 at $33.97.

What next? Bears are predicting oil hits and potentially breaks through the $32.50 support level for a brief stint in the upper 20's ($28 range), while the Bulls are predicting a jump back to the $37 level. We shall see. 

Stay Tuned!

 

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OPEC Holds Firm on Output Levels

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This past week has been a wild one.

Wednesday we saw WTI shed almost $2/barrel (4.6%) to close out under $40 at $39.94/bbl and both ULSD and RBOB shed over 6 cents each (-0641 and -0699, respectively) on the EIA Inventory report, which once again showed unexpected builds.  Crude inventories built 1.2mmb, marking the 10th consecutive week of builds.  

An additional weight on oil and other commodities was the dollar, which surged to a 12 year high after the Fed indicated they were likely to move forward with a rate hike. (Friday's strong jobs report makes that even more likely).

Thursday the reverse situation happened, as investors and traders waited with baited breath on the hopes that OPEC would come to a consensus at Friday's meeting to lower output.

Today however, its official - OPEC did not come to any formal policy change and will not be cutting production or lowering the ceiling. Iran has been vocal and vehement for the past few weeks that they would absolutely refuse any cuts in production just when Western Sanctions are coming down and allowing them to reenter the market. They plan to come online at as much capacity as possible in Tehran, and the Saudi's essentially cited the "complication" of Iran's new ability to ramp up output as the reason today's meeting was fruitless. 

Predictably, oil was down on the announcement, as it effectively seals the deal in terms of all but guaranteeing the oil glut not just continues, but worsens. (Crude settled at $39.97, down from Thursday's $41.08)

The pressure now will be on higher cost producers like the US. However, that's been the case (and the OPEC strategy) to some degree for over a year now and hasn't solved the problem. The real losers in the lack-of-a-deal are the smaller OPEC and non-OPEC oil producing countries who lack the capital reserves of countries like Saudi Arabia - namely Brazil, Venezuela, etc. If oil continues to slide, we could start seeing serious economic impacts and unrest in oil-revenue dependent nations.

Stay Tuned!

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IEA Forecasts & Inventory Numbers Push Commodities Closer to New Lows

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And down we go again - today WTI closed down almost 3%  (the final close was 40.74), which is around an 8% loss on the week. Brent came within 2 dollars of a low not seen in over 6 years, and also ended the week at around an 8% loss, according to Reuters.


To round out the board - RBOB dropped .0342 to 1.2389, a multi month low, and ULSD dropped to 1.3813, a loss of .0253.

So what's going on?

The IEA is forecasting global oil demand growth to drop to 1.2mmb per day throughout 2016, as compared to the 1.8mmb per day we've seen this year. Given that the 1.8mmb has clearly not been robust enough demand to stop prices from crashing, the IEA announcement doesn't bode well for any serious and sustained price rebound anytime soon, if we ignore other factors that we can't predict (geopolitical escalations, etc).

IEA also announced that OPEC oil inventories are at a record almost 3 billion barrels for September, and this weeks EIA Inventory report showed a build of 4.2 million barrels of US Crude, as well as a spike in production.

Rig counts were up for the first time in 11 weeks as well, according to Baker Hughes.

There's been a lot of reporting this week that over 20 million barrels of Crude are sitting on cargo ships backing up in the Gulf Coast, which is approximately double the usual amount. If you recall, there was some reporting a few weeks ago about ships backing up at other major ports outside of China and the Arab Gulf as well, that had contributed to prior drops on basically what amounts to visible evidence of an extreme oversupply.

When you factor these items in with a dollar that continues to strengthen, it's less than surprising that prices are continuing to slide across the board to multi month lows.

Stay Tuned!

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The Bears Have It - EIA Report Slashes Tuesday's Gains

Downwards aiming arrow with the terms WTI, Oil and Brent inside of it

Today's EIA Inventory Report indicated that Crude Inventories were up 2.8 million barrels for the week ending October 30th, and the market reacted accordingly. API had forecast a build as well, so prior to the EIA release we were trending down about 1%, which accelerated to over 3% once the official numbers came out. 


A few interesting notes about the build - it occurred due to a domestic production increase of 48,000 bpd to 9.16 million bpd. This increase happened despite the Baker Hughes announcement that rig counts dropped another 16 to the lowest level since 2010, and despite US imports falling to their lowest weekly level since 1991. (Down to 6.4 million barrels per day, if you're keeping score at home.)

It also happened despite the fact that every single issue that spiked the market yesterday is still very much in play. The Libyan port is still closed under occupation. The Brazilians are still on strike at PetroBras. The Colonial pipeline's Houston facility is still flooded and not allowing any deliveries or originations to occur. (You can get a recap of yesterday here: Monday sinks on Demand, Tuesday Surges on Supply )

And yet here we are, narrowly missing a complete reversal of yesterdays surge across the board. 

Gasoline was projected to show a 1 million barrel drop, but instead dropped 3.3 million barrels - yet RBOB settled down -.0536, not quite erasing yesterday's 7 cent jump but coming close, considering the drop in inventory should in theory have pushed gas further ahead. 

Distillates did the reverse of gasoline stocks - they were projected to drop 1.8 million barrels, but instead dropped 1.3. ULSD closed down .0625 to 1.5035, more than erasing yesterday's jump of just under 6 cents. 

The October Jobs report is likely the next major news for the market, due out Friday. Maybe we will get lucky and get a breather tommorow. One can always hope. 

 

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Monday Sinks on Demand, Tuesday Surges on Supply

Man grasping his head while looking at computer screens

Yesterday we saw the beginning of a reversal of last week's rally on more bad economic news from China that came out over the weekend. Specifically, manufacturing dropped again, remaining under the level that is seen as official contraction. Once again, this impacts the oil markets because we're counting on their demand remaining high, or even increasing. That doesn't happen when your manufacturing slows down. Monday settled down marginally with the exception of gasoline. (Crude at 46.14, ULSD down -.0098 to 1.5069 and Gas up 37 points to 1.3753).

Today however, was an entirely different story. At the close, ULSD settled at 1.5660 (+.0591), Gas was up (+.0702) to 1.4455, and Crude was up almost 4% to 47.90, with Brent settling up 3.5% to $50.51.

 What Happened?!

Bloomberg & The Wall Street Journal are reporting that in yet more infighting between Libyans and militia factions, Libyan Oil Ministers announced the indefinite closure of a major port by force majeure after the port came under control of "an armed militia". No word yet on who that militia was. The closure will drop Libyan production/export by approximately 70,000bpd. As discussed before, Libya was a major exporter historically, with a capacity of about a million and a half barrels per day but since the country essentially went into a tailspin, that's been dropping. This latest closure brings them down to under half a million barrels a day - less than a third of their capacity.

In Brazil, oil workers began striking Sunday, and reportedly have already dropped State run Petrobras' output by approximately 25%.

So today obviously jumped on supply disruptions - but globally, we are still looking at a supply glut, especially when we look at Chinese economic data and Iran's announcement that they are working towards another half a million barrels a day coming online.

Barring extreme scenarios, one would assume prices would back off some, or stabilize on supply, rather than continue to surge on it. A big mover tommorow could be the EIA Inventory report, and later this week we're looking at more Fed talks. Also, the October Jobs report out on Friday will undoubtedly move Wall Street, but we will have to wait and see how that may or may not impact the NYMEX. 

Stay Tuned!

 

 

 

 

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Two to Contango - Weather & Supply Crush WTI & Nat Gas

The definition of Contango is displayed

Another day, another price drop.

Both Brent and WTI Crude have shed about 10% of their value over the past two weeks, and those losses continued today.

Today, front month (December) WTI dropped from Friday’s $44.60 to $43.98, while front month (November) ULSD dropped from 1.4544 to 1.4259 (-.0285) and RBOB dropped (-.0157) from 1.3036 to 1.2879.

WTI Crude is continuing to show an ever widening contango, with front month discounts at a 5 month high and still going. 

What’s behind it? Supply, supply, and more supply, with an added kick of above average temperatures for the season and a forecasted lighter winter.

Despite the fact that US rig counts have dropped to their lowest level since 2010, supply just simply has not slowed down enough domestically - US Crude is up 5% in just the past 4 weeks, to the highest level we’ve seen this time of year since the 1930s. And as we’ve covered extensively, OPEC output remains at sustained high levels abroad.

As an aside - we talk a lot about the supply glut in reference to Crude, but it’s becoming a serious issue on refined products and Natural Gas as well. There is fear in Europe about refined products, specifically diesel, hitting “tank tops” – in other words the supply hitting or exceeding maximum storage capacity.

Although it’s not likely tank tops will actually be hit, the fact that the concern exists speaks to the level of over supply we are looking at. (According to Reuters, aforementioned stockpiles of refined products are resulting in diesel and jetfuel cargoes taking longer routes and backing up outside of European ports.)

Natural Gas has been plummeting as well, and today NYMEX Nat Gas saw its largest single day drop since February of 2014. It dropped almost 10% on the winter forecast and supply gluts, the same concerns that have been pummeling Crude. Natural Gas, like WTI, is in contango at present, and there is no real indication it will reverse course any time soon.

To add some gasoline to the fire (pun very much intended) – Goldman Sachs today warned that it expected downward pressure on oil and distillates through Spring 2016 based on supply and weather forecasts, while other analysts proclaimed Natural Gas would be facing the same issue, with concern about capacity max outs and no foreseeable reason it should have the price spike we almost always see as we round into the winter months.

Who wants to bet on how those announcements impact trading tomorrow?

 

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Crude ends the Week in the Red on Strong Dollar, Supply

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Crude prices are on track to be down around 5% on the week. There were some initial jumps this morning on hope that the newly announced Chinese Stimulus Package could ramp up demand. Prices reversed sharply and quickly, however, as the dollar continues to crush other currencies, which almost universally sends commodities in general on a slide. 

On Wednesday prices touched near 3 week lows on the EIA reporting yet another gain in US Inventories, despite our being into the typical "slow down" phase, when refineries go offline for maintainance, and despite continuing drops in rig counts (and therefore a theoretical drop in production).

Also, on Wednesday morning we still had a sliver of hope that the OPEC meeting would come out with supply cuts - nope, wrong again. Now we will have to wait until the December 4th policy meeting of OPEC to know for sure if there will be supply cuts, but it seems extremely unlikely to most-  as the Saudi's have demonstrated, their main goal is market share retention, and they seem to accept that the crumbling economies of other oil producing countries is essentially a cost of doing business (much to the chagrin of those countries).

However, Bloomberg and others are reporting that the low pricing is starting to hurt for Saudi Arabia as well, as reportedly they have deferred payments to government contractors as the country begins to slide into a deficit. (Excellent read on MarketWatch on the subject here: "Will fiscal pain of low prices force Saudi Arabia's hand ). 

Thursday saw a quick reversal, but again, that's history now on the back of the dollar. The European Central Bank stated they are looking at "options" for economic stimulus for the Eurozone, which thus far has only really pushed the euro lower versus the dollar, and weighed on Crude and other commodities. 

At the close today, WTI settled the week at 44.60, and Brent at 48.02. (ULSD closed down -.0106 on the day to 1.4544 and RBOB was down slightly by -.0031 to 1.3036)

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Crude Rallies Again on Escalation in Syria & Uncertainty in Iran

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Crude came back in a big way in trading today – with intraday highs briefly breaking $50 before settling out at $49.43/bbl. (Fun fact – we haven’t seen WTI break $50 since July)

ULSD and RBOB rallied as well, with ULSD closing up (+.0222) to 1.6018 and RBOB up (+.0178) to 1.4078.

It appears that yesterday’s inventory-induced drops were a one-time thing, and the market has shifted its focus to escalation in Syria.

On Wednesday Russia launched its first round of naval assaults on Syria, and today saw more airstrikes. Of note, in one of today’s campaigns, the Russians reportedly fired 26 Cruise missiles at Syrian targets. Reportedly however, at least 4 of them hit Iran instead. Yes, Iran. There has been no comment from Moscow, but US sources are confirming the hits.

This obviously fuels concern about the conflict in Syria not just escalating, but spreading throughout the region. Adding to the regional uncertainty, Ayatollah Khomeini has reportedly balked at further negotiations with the US on the controversial so called “Iranian Nuclear Deal,” claiming the US would use it to undermine the Islamic Republic’s fundamental interests, which will likely lead to more uncertainty in the Middle East, and also led to speculation that Iranian sanctions may not, in fact, be lifted which would obviously result in their exports not coming back online.

However, despite today’s jump and the ongoing conflict, there is still consensus among many that the US stockpiles are the indicator to watch. Goldman Sachs announced they would not only not be raising their price forecast for 2016, but that they were not ruling out dropping it further. Their calculation is based on the continued presence of the oil glut and record production.

Of note domestically, the House is expected to vote on and pass a repeal of the Crude Export Ban tomorrow. It’s unclear whether it will pass the Senate yet, but the White House has already issued a statement that it will veto the bill. There may be some market rumblings depending on how the bipartisan bill fares in the Senate early next week.  

Stay Tuned!

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Crude Reverses Early Gains on Surprise Inventory Data

Abstract image of an oil rig, cash and a calculator

Today once again started in positive territory, with Crude up almost 2% and refined products creeping higher, but we saw a quick reversal mid-morning when products dropped into the negative, where they would end up settling at the close. (Crude ended up settling down to $47.81, ULSD was down -.0319 to $1.5796 and Gas dropped -.0462 to $1.390)

What happened?

Early in the day products were up on the EIA announcement that they are projecting demand for Crude would hit its fastest pace in 6 years in 2016, even as US production is expected to decline.  This implied further easing of the so called oil glut, which could keep a stable pressure on prices going up, in theory.  

Additionally, API projected yesterday that Crude stockpiles would show a draw of 1.2mmb.

Consequently, WTI hit a brief intraday high of 49.71, just under the $50 psychological benchmark.

However, gains were pared quickly when the EIA Inventory Report showed a build in Crude stockpiles of 3.1mmb to 461mmb, higher than any analysts had predicted. That puts Crude and petroleum product stockpiles at a high of 1.3 billion barrels. So much for a slow-down of the oil glut, eh?

Another bearish signal is that thus far into hurricane season, we have not seen any major supply delays, or refinery damage/shut downs, which are usually cause for temporary price jumps this time of year.  There is also still the looming question about what happens to global pricing when Iranian exports come back online at full capacity.

Some analysts are cautioning that traders and speculators are taking the proposed Russia/Saudi Arabia meeting too seriously, in that they don’t see them coming together on any type of agreement on raising prices by cutting supply. That would seem to be supported by the recent Saudi price drop for exports. It’s also worth remembering that Russia and Saudi Arabia are diametrically opposed in terms of the war in Syria, which may not bode well for any sort of collaborative action.

Stay Tuned!

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Crude jumps 4.9% on Rising Tensions, Dropping Rig Counts, and Russia

Oil barrels laid over an upwards growing line chart

Yesterday we saw Crude jump almost 2% on a weaker dollar and speculations about Russia and OPEC’s upcoming meeting. Today more fuel was added to the fire (no pun intended) and we saw Crude continue to jump, settling out up an additional 4.9% to $48.53/bbl. Going along for the ride, ULSD closed up (+.0632) to 1.6115 and RBOB jumped (+.0509) to 1.4362.

What’s going on?

Primarily Russia and their proposed meeting with the Saudi’s on energy projects and outlooks, as discussed yesterday. (for a quick refresher, read this: Russia, OPEC and a Weaker Dollar - Oh My!).

Interestingly, before the meeting news broke on Monday, the Saudi’s had abruptly announced they would be slashing the price of their oil exports to retain market share – not a good sign for the global economy (demand), or the global supply situation. But the signal that OPEC may be willing to talk, specifically that the Saudi’s are, has more than eliminated any pull back the price cut could have been expected to have.

 Additionally, the Baker Hughes rig count report indicated further drops (down an additional 29), causing Goldman Sachs to project that US production will drop by 225,000 barrels per day in 2016. Reuters is also reporting that Libya’s production has fallen below 25% of the levels it sustained prior to the ouster of Ghaddafi.

Its possible traders are seeing at least a slow-down in the growth of the oil glut on the heels of these news items, reading it as a bullish signal for prices, and acting accordingly.  

There is rumor of a Chinese stimulus attempt as well, aimed at ramping up economic growth in that country, and therefore oil demand. As we’ve discussed before, news out of China is almost always a big driver of market moves, as they’re still the “hail Mary pass” on global economic recovery everyone is holding out for. Positive news from China = Positive numbers on the screen.

Keep in mind - the tense standoff between the US and Russia in Syria may become an increasing factor over time. Yesterday the Russians violated Turkish airspace, and we’ll have to see if there’s more sabre rattling from the Russians, or equally likely, hawkish overreaction by the US or NATO.

Stay Tuned!

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Russia, OPEC and a Weaker Dollar - Oh my!

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The markets are up across the board today, from stocks to Crude oil. 

ULSD was up +.0284 to 1.5483, and RBOB shot up +.0439 to 1.3853, front month, at the close. WTI Crude was up almost 2% to close at 46.26/bbl. 

What happened?

Reportedly, Russia is open to talks with OPEC and other oil producing nations to discuss pricing and global supply. Although no actual meeting has been proposed, traders were still optimistic, and both WTI and Crude jumped up on the news. (Prices were also bolstered by a perceived weakening dollar – more on that in a moment.)

Additionally, apparently Russia and the Saudi’s have a meeting scheduled this month to discuss energy projects, and one can probably assume this will include how they will approach the OPEC meeting, if there ends up being one.

On Wall Street, disappointing job numbers from last week, coupled with a statement from the Boston Fed Chair that growth would have to be hitting 2% target rates to justify an interest rate increase resulted in a semi consensus that the odds the interest rate goes up in October is around 10%. As a result, stocks were up….but for how long?

While the Fed delay was good for Wall Street today, it’s not really a good sign bigger picture, both for Wall Street and the US in general. We saw one effect of that today, where the jump in commodity pricing can be somewhat pegged on the dollar starting to weaken on soft economic data and the implication that the US economy is not strengthening on its anticipated trajectory, as implied by the Fed delays.

Something of note internationally, that could have broad impacts on the markets, is that tensions between the US and Russia are approaching Cold War levels as Russia continues air strikes in Syria. The strikes, ostensibly part of a multifaceted attack on ISIS in Syria have apparently actually been hitting anti-Assad rebels, who are at least nominally supported by the US. To add another splash of gasoline to the fire, this weekend a Doctors without Borders hospital was bombed in Afghanistan, and it appears a US aircraft may have been involved, which could obviously have devastating international consequences, both geopolitically and otherwise.

Stay tuned!

 

 

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Standing Headline: Fed Talks,Chinese Economic Data Pummel Stocks,Crude

Man grasping his head looking at computer screens

WTI dropped 2.8% today to close out at $44.43 a barrel, while Brent closed out down 2.5% . On the refined products side of the NYMEX, ULSD and Gas both took a pummeling as well, with both down over 4 on the day. To be exact, ULSD closed out down (-.0453) to 1.4772 and RBOB closed down (-.0471) to 1.3488.

So whats going on?

For one, the news from China today was that industrial companies there have seen profits plummet at a faster level than they have in four years, resparking speculation that China's economy is really struggling a lot more than everyone has been assuming. As previously discussed, Chinese economic data is such a huge indicator because they are a top commodities consumer, and strong economic data from China is basically what traders and analysts are "hanging their hat on" as a potential for growing demand to stave off the price crushing effects of the oil glut.

The IMF Managing Director also announced today that although the economy was still recovering from the recession, the pace had decelerated, and the 3.3-3.8 GDP goals for 2015 & 2016 were now "unrealistic". This in combo with the bleak Chinese data pushed crude down quickly both overseas and domestically. 

In related news, Shell announced today that they will be pulling out of Arctic drilling exploration in Alaska. This is primarily a result of the sustained drop in oil prices, and follows a growing trend industry-wide. Over half of American rigs have been decomissioned, and investment into new oil sands projects and new gulf drilling projects has dropped substantially.

Simply put, theres just too much oil out there now to invest huge sums of money into procuring even more of it.  

Wall Street took a beating today as well on Chinese data, the IMF remarks, and continued rumor milling over the timing of the Fed Rate hike. The president of the NY Fed suggested it could happen as soon as October, where others have speculated December was the likely target date. So once again, Fed talks and the resultant speculation, combined with some more "surprise" bleak economic data hammered stocks today - which is starting to seem like a standing headline at this point. 

Stay Tuned!

 

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Fed Uncertainty and Major Layoffs Spook Wall Street  

Stock market numbers

Stocks are getting pummeled today in anticipation of Fed Chair Janet Yellen's scheduled 5 o'clock speech on the economy and Fed policy re: rate hikes. (Deja vu anyone?). 

Today Caterpillar announced that they will be both revising sales projections down and cutting 10,000 jobs by the end of 2018. That announcement is really crushing stocks, because Caterpillar is seen as an indicator of strength or weakness in the industrial and manufacturing sectors given their size and dominance in the sphere of heavy equipment. To the traders on the Street, less demand for Caterpillar implies fewer large scale construction projects coming online, which is obviously not good news for the economy.

Their announcement is also not a good sign for diesel usage increases, either,  which we need in the face of oversupply and the resultant continually dropping prices. 

On the other hand  - first time jobless claims were up 3,000 to 267,000, not a bad job market indicator, and new home sales beat estimates, both of which are positive signs. 

Ironically, what some analysts are saying is that these positive indicators signal that we can withstand an increase - and the panicked selling off is essentially coming from a concern about why we did not see the Fed move forward with the anticipated rate hike last week. If the market looks like it can accept it, then not passing the rate hike essentially implies the Fed is concerned about economic strength despite positive signs, and this is apparently making traders very nervous. 

On the commodities side, the EIA report out Wednesday showed inventory draws of 1.9mmb on Crude, draws of 2.1mmb on distillates, and a build of 1.4mmb on gasoline. We actually saw drops at the close however, despite the inventory draws, with WTI settling at 44.48 for November (Brent at 47.82), ULSD for October delivery closed out at 1.5056 (-.0264) and RBOB was down (-.0348) to 1.3816. 

Today, the NYMEX was mixed throughout trading - up on diesel, down on gas, neither straying too far from the open. At the close, ULSD settled up (+.0181) to 1.5237, and gas settled out (-.0164) to 1.3652.

Expect another possible crazy day tommorow, depending on how the Fed Speech goes, and how traders and analysts interpet its likely short term implications. 

Stay tuned!

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Fed Holds Interest Rates, Oil Drops after Wednesday's Gains

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Oil prices continued to tumble early this week - that is until the Wednesday EIA report came out and spiked prices on Crude up 6%. The report showed that Crude stockpiles fell by 2.1mmbbls for the week ending September 11. Additionally, Distillate stocks dropped by 3mmbbl, and gasoline dropped 2.84mmb. That explains Wednesday, when we saw Crude jump up to settle at $47.15 (Tuesday's close was $44), ULSD jumped .0414 to $1.5414, and RBOB jumped .0492 to $1.3821 (it could have been worse - intraday highs were over 5 up on diesel and 6 up on gas!).

Today is trending down like yesterday, with ULSD down .0390 to $1.4907, and gas down .0198 to $1.3562. WTI closed out at $44.68.

The Federal Reserve announced late Thursday that it will not be increasing interest rates at this time, based on concern about global economic growth. This has pushed oil prices down, because global concern means we're unlikely to see a spike in demand that would ease concerns about the oil glut we've been dealing with. As you'd expect, there's been some demand/use increase because of the lower prices we've been seeing, however its simply not robust enough to really make a sizeable dent in the oversupply. 

The issue with the Fed's statement outside of the grim outlook is they are still suggesting a rate hike this year, probably December. That means we will probably see the same up and down volatility with stocks and oil prices as we have seen over the past few months while waiting for this now-passed deadline. 

Rig counts are down in the US again, according to Baker Hughes' report, which may stem some production, but again, not likely to be a huge mover one way or the other. Refineries will be going on scheduled maintainence soon which may lower Crude stockpiles for a while, we'll have to wait and see on what impact that has. Across the globe, OPEC is still maintaining they will not be stemming production, and Iran has stated they intend to come fully back online as soon as sanctions no longer suppress their output. 

On the political side - the House Committee on Energy voted this week to move a bill proposing the repeal of the Crude Export Ban to the floor for a vote. Obama is likely to threaten veto, and its unclear if it will even get through the Senate to force said veto, but it is a potential bright spot for US producers and refiners that the bipartisan bill is moving to the floor.

(If you want to brush up on some of the issues regarding the Crude Oil Export Ban, you can do so in these articles: "Is it Time to Overturn the Crude Export Ban?" and "Energy Security, Not Independence, Should be the Goal" )

Stay tuned!

 

 

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Lackluster Jobs Data Crushes Stocks, Crude

Stock market numbers on a digital display board

CRUDE, ULSD, and RBOB are all trending downwards today in tandem with the Stock Market, after a less-than-robust Jobs Report out this morning. The report showed that the US added 173,000 jobs in August, a relatively far cry from the 220,000 anticipated (hoped for?) by the markets and economists.

According to some analysts, since the official unemployment rate fell to 5.1%,  the report is seen as potentially strong enough to push the Fed into following through with a September rate hike which accelerated sell offs. According to others, lackluster global economic signals are pushing the selling. I find the second assertion is more likely, but either way, the market looks poised to drop 3% on the week.

The past few weeks have seen wild volatility on Crude as well as the Stock Market. As the Wall Street Journal pointed out today - the close Tuesday marked 4 straight days of commodities trading with swings of at least 6% up or down in a row. For example, Monday for October closed up +.1101 on ULSD, and +.1020 on RBOB, then Tuesday more than erased those gains, closing out -.1233 on ULSD and -.1035 on gas. 

With the production level battles still ongoing with OPEC between the so-called "Fragile Five" and the Saudi's which so far hasn't had any curbing impact on output, and a lack of any real bright spots in the global economy, it's more probable than not that we will continue to see serious volatility for the time being. 

Stay tuned!

 

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Gains After Another Black Monday - Dead Cat Bounce or Rebound?

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

Today we saw some reversals in the abject panic selloffs we saw Friday and especially Monday. (Click here to recap Friday)

First, lets recap Monday's insanity:

Monday saw WTI tumble another 5.5% to close out below $40 to $38.24 for October delivery. Brent fell in tandem, about 6% to settle out at $42.69 for October delivery. 

We saw stocks extend losses as well - shortly after Monday's open, the Dow was down an unprecedented 1,000 points, it ended up bouncing around and settling down 588 points on the day. Monday saw the S&P in full correction mode for the first time since 2011, as was the Nasdaq,  and it was the Dow's worst performing day since 2011 as well. 

What happened? Essentially everyone is in full on panic mode in terms of selling off. Panic over Chinese economic data gave us Friday's plummet, and then The Shanghai index was down 8.5% Monday which kept the selling right on going. 

This morning we're seeing some rebounding on stocks as well as commodities, after the Chinese made a surprise interest rate cut in an attempt to stem the bleeding. It's uncertain if this is really inspiring confidence in investors, or we're just seeing the infamous "dead cat bounce" that often accompanies several days of heavy losses. Time will tell. 

As of 3pm, the markets are all positive on the day - a trend unlikely to reverse before the close... but, perhaps not likely to continue through the week either. 

On the commodities side, Crude rebounded this morning somewhat, finally settling out in positive territory from yesterday at $39.31.

ULSD and RBOB have gone back and forth from positive to negative throughout the trading day, but at the close, diesel was essentially flat (+.0023) at $1.3952, and RBOB was down -.0324 to $1.4386.

Don't forget that the EIA Inventories come out in the morning as well, which could impact how the markets shake out tommorow. 

Stay Tuned!

 

 

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Stocks Officially in Correction, Oil Trades Under $40

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

WTI crashed below the $40 level this afternoon in trading, and clung right to the $40 line at the close, settling at $40.45. (ULSD was off -.0556 to $1.4624, and RBOB dropped -.0143 to $1.5449)

As discussed yesterday, domestic inventories going up pushed prices down towards $40. Today Baker Hughes announced more rigs going back online, for the fifth week in a row, which seems to be the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back.

Stocks haven’t taken the news easy, either. US stocks hit their lowest point in a year, on oil price panic and deepening fears about the Chinese economy. The Dow Jones was down over 450 points as of 3:30pm – and over 530 points at the close. The bad news is that makes it in official “correction” territory which could further more panic selling on Monday. The S&P was down over 2% this afternoon - which pales in comparison to the market in China which dropped over 4%. Long story short, everyone’s stock positions got hammered today.

Another factor of a quick price drop on oil like we’ve seen since last June that is rarely discussed is the impact on jobs. This is kind of another anvil hanging over the economy’s head that could drop if oil gets to a critical low price. According to The Guardian's reporting, close to a quarter million people globally have lost their oil and petroleum related jobs, including approximately 35,000 in the US. Shell announced this week that it would lay off 6500 employees worldwide. Then there’s the financial cost. Their article on this portion of the equation is fantastic and thorough, you can read it here: The Guardian

Earlier this month we saw Venezuela and others pushing for an OPEC meeting to discuss changing supply to offset the crushing blow to their economies that the continued low pricing has been having. Yesterday, according to Reuters and the Wall Street Journal, the Algerian Oil Minister sent a letter to OPEC arguing the price has dropped significantly since they agreed on production levels, and is pushing for another meeting to reassess. So far, Saudi Arabia et al have stood firm, but it may be that they are forced to reverse at some price level as-yet-undetermined.  (You can read about that letter and OPEC in depth here: WSJ )

Hopefully we have some better news tomorrow - but it doesn't look good out there, folks. 

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Inventories & Iran Continue to Pummel Crude Prices

Man grasping his head looking at computer screens

Oil prices are continuing their tumble - and it doesn't look likely they'll rebound in any significant way any time soon.

Wednesday's EIA Inventory Report showed a Crude build of 2.6mmb, bringing US Crude stockpiles to 456.2mmb. Analysts had forecast (hoped for?) a decline of 1.2-2.3mmb, depending on which group you looked at. 

Wednesday's trading saw WTI plunge 4% to below $41/bbl  - the lowest it's been in over 6 years. It settled out at $40.80 for September, and $41.27 for October. Brent lost 3.4% as well to settle at $47.16 for October.

$40 is a fairly significant benchmark, both psychologically and because it touches on production cost for some producers, which means it becomes essentially unprofitable to produce if oil goes any cheaper than $40. 

WTI may bounce some today as September trading closes out, but with refineries going offline in the fall for scheduled maintenance and no reason to think Crude stockpiles will suddenly plummet - it's likely that the decline will continue further. The only real question is what the bottom will be. 

Additionally, the pending Iran Nuclear deal if approved (which is essentially guaranteed) would lift sanctions in Iran, which would allow them to export more oil. They currently export around 1 million barrels per day from their 2.7 million barrel production. Reports say they are capable of about 4 million barrels of production, but its unclear how much of that they would be capable of exporting. 

Regardless, the EIA has revised its projection for oil prices throughout 2015. The new numbers put WTI at below $50 dollars ($49) for the remainder of the year, and only project WTI at $54 for 2016. EIA also cautioned that the numbers may be revised again, depending on Iran's ability to put new oil produced up for export. 

OPEC has maintained they will not be reducing supply regardless of the slide - it remains to be seen whether they reverse that stance if oil continues well below the $40, or even $30 dollar benchmarks as some think it may. 

Back to today- US stocks are getting crushed from fears about oil prices and the lack of foreseeable demand increases, the Chinese economy, and employment. The most recent jobs report showed an increase in unemployment claims - the fourth week in a row it both increased and beat estimates of how much it would increase. Unemployment ticking up, and the Fed signaling that the economy may not be strong enough to withstand an interest rate increase yet (according to their recent meeting notes) have for obvious reasons, not inspired confidence. 

Stay Tuned!

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#TBT - Crude Prices This Year vs. Last

Downwards pointing arrow with the words BRENT, WTI and OIL

#TBT - It's hard to believe it but just about exactly a year ago, we were still looking at Crude oil that was dancing around the old $100 "new normal" benchmark.

Front month trading in August of last year  saw WTI for September at $96.07 (August 20th), with a 52 week high of $106.64 and a 52 week low of $89.09.

Yesterday front month Brent closed at $49.66 and WTI settled at $43.30.  The 52 week high for WTI as of today is $92.31, and the 52 week low is $42.07 - however, today's trading looks like it may break that low.

Trading in July for front month August was over $100/bbl. 

From June 2014 to December 2014, Crude dropped over 40% from its highs (and continued to slide in 2015). 

You can view the drop in interactive chart form by clicking here.

Where do you think the bottom is?

 

(Also, if you want a recap of some of the major events affecting pricing since the slide began, you can read up on them here:

Greece Nears Default, sends Commodity Prices Reeling - June 2015

Oil Slides on Economic Data - August 2015  )

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chinese Currency Devaluation Slams Stocks, Boosts Commodities

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

 

Stocks got hammered on Tuesday when the Chinese yuan was devalued 1.9% by the Central Bank. In a move that clearly shocked the hell out of traders - today the market tanked again when the currency was devalued another percent. Twice in two days - literally no one saw that coming. 

The move is to boost exports - reporting showed Chinese exports dropped 8%, and devaluing the yuan puts Chinese exports at a price advantage which in theory will boost them. Industrial production in China fell 6% as well, and a ramp up of exports could help boost that number as well. 

On the commodities side, high drops in inventory were predicted on the EIA's Inventory Report this morning, which initially bumped up prices. However, while we saw draws, they weren't as deep as projected, causing some of the earlier-in-the-day spikes to be backed off of. Brent reversed earlier gains to essentially trade flat, and WTI backed quickly off intraday highs. 

On the report we saw draws of 1.7 mmb on Crude (forecast was 1.9mmb), Gasoline was down 1.3mmb (1.6 forecast), and ULSD showed a build of 3mmb (600k was forecast).

At the close, WTI settled out to 43.30,  ULSD closed up .0240 to 1.5869, and RBOB closed up .0698 to 1.7635

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Oil Bounces Back Today, But Talking Heads Say "Not for Long"

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

Friday saw oil futures tumble again to multi-month lows, with Brent settling at 48.61, and WTI at 43.87 for September. (ULSD closed out at 1.5436, and RBOB at 1.6230 ) on general concerns about the oil glut and dissapointing economic data from China. 

Today however, commodities jumped, presumably on high import data from China and further rumblings from the Fed about an interest hike in September. Brent was up 3% ish to slightly over the $50 benchmark (50.36 for September), and WTI closed up to $44.96. ULSD settled up .0485 to 1.5921 and gas was up .0710 to 1.6940.

However, the analysts and talking heads of the world are cautioning that a sustained rally is unlikely, given that the oil glut concern lingers. Also, part of why prices tumbled so sharply last week (down over 6%) is that more rigs have come back online in the US, which only indicates that high output and growing inventory conditions will continue for the foreseeable future. 

In a nutshell today is being essentially written off as an over optimistic jump off of Chinese import data, just another "dead cat bounce". We should see on Wednesday if they are correct when the inventory reports are released. 

Stay tuned!

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Oil Slides on Economic Data, Dragging Stocks Along for the Ride

This morning Brent Crude dropped under $50 for the first time in 6 months, and WTI fell below $45/bbl to within $2 of a 6 year low. Shortly after noon, the NYMEX showed ULSD down .0452 cents, and gas down almost 9 (-.0882).

What's going on?

Lackluster economic data out of both China and the US seems to indicate that overall oil demand is unlikely to spike to levels able to compensate for the immense glut of oil we're seeing now. As we've discussed, OPEC and others have kept production at record levels to both retain market share, and attempt to slow production (and therefore competition for market share) by higher cost-of-production nations, most notably, the U.S.

Domestically, S&P Energy stocks dragged that index down in response to falling oil prices. US stock indexes trended downward today across the board on other non-thrilling economic data as well as some major single stock tumbles (Apple, Tyson, Lowe's, etc).Overall data showed consumer spending gains were anemic, labor costs increased, and now we all wait with baited breath for the jobs report due out on Friday. 

Across the pond, the Greek stock market re-opened today and promptly tumbled almost 30%, essentially reigniting concerns about the stability of the Eurozone and the odds that the Greek debt deals in their current iterations will solve the ongoing debt crisis. (They ended up rebounding to cap out about a 16% loss on the day)

The data from China this morning was arguably the main catalyst for the drop today, as all eyes were focused on their manufacturing reporting to show a gain, but it instead showed a major slow down. Chinese economic growth had been essentially the last hope for demand ramping up and stemming the price sliding. Traders and Investors have been looking for signs to confirm their hopes of a positive second half of the year in terms of growth, and today's data essentially put those hopes to rest.

At the close, September ULSD dropped -.0584 to 1.5305, RBOB dropped -.0975 to 1.6745. WTI closed out at $45.17. Last prints for Brent are 49.54-50.17 range. 

Stay Tuned!

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Greece Nears Default, Sends Global Stocks & Commodity Prices Reeling

Sillouettes of people infront of charts showing Greek Debt

Stock Markets across the Globe dropped sharply on worries over Greece's potential (and frankly, very likely) default. Greece owes the IMF  a 1.8 billion dollar payment tommorow, but their Prime Minister has pushed voting on whether to accept referendums to July 5th, making it pretty clear Greece is unwilling and unable to make their required payments. 

European stocks dropped on fear that Greece will vote to leave the European Union rather than work with creditors and the European Central Bank to structure repayment obligations. If Greece leaves the union it could impact the Euro currency and that uncertainty will probably continue to impact the market on some level until we see how it all plays out. 

Greek banks and markets are closed this week, after a rush on banks and ATMs nationwide sparked fears of the system collapsing under the weight of citizens pulling all their money out simultaneously. This morning the Greek stock market was down over 15% despite not even being open. 

Closer to home, the Governor of Puerto Rico has announced it is "simply not possible" for the province to pay its required obligations. They owe 94 million by July 15, with another 140 million due by August 1 on bond principal. 

This weekend also saw three seperate terrorist attacks in 3 seperate countries, all of which ISIS claimed responsibility for. 

Needless to say, things are not looking good globally, both in terms of safety and economics. 

In terms of commodities, Greece seems to be the focus, while terrorism attacks are being ignored as evidenced by the across the board drops we are seeing. WTI and Brent Crude were both down over 2% in this mornings trading. ULSD and RBOB front month are both trending down today, with ULSD closing out at 1.8366 (-.0262) and RBOB settling at 2.0303 (-.0182) 

Stay Tuned!

 

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NYMEX reacts to Projected Crude Draws

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

Oil was rising this morning ahead of the EIA inventory report's release. Analysts are expecting to see draws in both Crude and Gasoline. Crude is projected to drop between 1.7 and 1.8mmb. Supplies are still at historically high levels, but the drawbacks are a bearish signal for the market. Just prior to the reports release (10:30am) ULSD and RBOB have both jumped up over 5 cents (.0554 and .0526, respectively.)

Overnight trading was mixed on some fears about supply disruptions due to Tropical Storm Bill, as well as a stronger dollar. 

The Fed concludes its two day Open Market Meeting today as well, and Fed Chairman Janet Yellen is slated to have a press conference at 2:30 this afternoon to discuss the meeting and give an indication on where the Fed stands on raising interest rates. Its unlikely they will raise them now, given some weaker economic data out over the past few weeks, but expect to see the stock market jump around, regardless. 

Stay tuned for how the market reacts once the EIA eport is officially released.

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EIA Projections for 2015 & 2016 Released Today

The EIA released its Short Term Energy Outlook today with its projections for both Crude prices and US Crude Oil production through 2016. It also projects where we will be on retail gasoline, natural gas storage, and electricity for 2015 & 2016.

In a nutshell, the outlook is as follows:

  • Brent is expected to average $61/bbl for 2015 and $67/bbl in 2016. The prior projected price for Brent in 2016 was $70/bbl
  • WTI is also forecast to drop about $3 dollars from the prior projection level for 2016. It forecasts WTI for 2015 to be up about a dollar higher than prior projections (up to $55.35/bbl)
  • Crude production is expected to dwindle slightly through early 2016, but the total projected volumes were revised up slightly - the new projected numbers are 9.4mmbpd in 2015 and 9.3mmbpd in 2016
  • Natural gas injections are expected to continue to climbing over their historic highs through 2016.
  • Retail gasoline is expected to decline slightly through the end of the year, backing off its current yearly high. 
  • Additionally, for consumers, the EIA is projecting an almost 5% increase in electricity bills for this summer season.

Other mentions of note, Brent saw its highest monthly average of 2015 in May, a $5 jump over its April average price. Retail gasoline also hit its high for the year in May. All of this despite inventory builds and OPEC production levels remaining at highs. 

The EIA Inventory Report publishes tommorow morning, we'll have to see how that impacts the NYMEX. Hopefully its an easier day than today, where we saw ULSD jump up .0631 to settle at 1.9179, and RBOB jumped .0696 to 2.0771 at the close. 

Stay tuned!

 

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NYMEX See-Saws on Inventories and Profit Taking

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

 

We enjoyed a little easing on NYMEX pricing for the beginning of this week, with a Goldmann Sachs prediction that oil prices could drop to $45/bbl. Additionally, it was reported that Saudi production for March hit 10.3mmb/day, a new record for them, which kept the market bearish.

That is, until the domestic inventory speculation talk started.

The API report for last weeks inventories predicted a 5.2mmb drop on Crude, and a 1.2mmb drop in gasoline supplies, and that, combined with the actual EIA reported draws pushed up the market. 

Wednesdays EIA report showed actual drops of 2.67mmb on Crude, and a 2.8mmb drop on gasoline. Consequently, as we saw, the market jumped up.

Crude and ULSD backed off Wednesday's intraday highs with ULSD closing up .0168 to 1.946, but RBOB settled out up .0461 to 2.0411. Yesterday the trend continued, with ULSD jumping up .0399 and RBOB closing up .0413 to 2.0824. 

Today the NYMEX has backed off, by noon ULSD was trending down -.0354, with RBOB following suit at -.0396 on profit taking from the weeks earlier gains. 

A bright spot for Memorial Day Weekend - retail gas prices are at their lowest in 6 years. Have a great long weekend, everyone!

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NYMEX, WTI Jump on Shale Slow Down & Inventory Concerns

Barrels of oil overlaid on a line graph

The NYMEX shot up again today, after trending slightly downward the past several sessions. Last week saw Brent over $65/bbl and today WTI settled out +1.50 to 60.75, over the $60/bbl benchmark we've all been watching for.

ULSD closed up +.0535 to 1.9989, while RBOB shot up over the $2 line again with a gain of +.0529 to settle at 2.0393. 

Our friends at OPEC came out earlier this week to announce they saw no increase in oil prices on the horizon, given they see no decrease in production, and denied reports that there was consideration of reinstituting production quotas to boost prices. This pumped the brakes on the rally temporarily, and resulted in a pummeling of energy stocks in the S&P in the process - most notably Exxon and Chevron shares (Both companies saw gains today, however, on the price reversal).

So what happened today?

Most analysts are crediting a weaker dollar in combination with the monthly drilling report that indicates some slow down in shale production domestically. The EIA projected that output from major shale plays will drop by some 86K bpd in June.

Analysts also expect to see draws in crude on tommorows EIA inventories report, which is almost always good for a few cents worth of upward pressure on the market - at least if they are correct, that is.

Outside of drilling and supply concerns, we once again saw resumed airstrikes in Yemen on the same day a cease-fire was to be discussed.

Deja vu, anyone?

Stay tuned!

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NYMEX Spikes on Escalation in Yemen

Soldiers on the back of a pickup truck  

(Photo Credit: Dmitry Chulov / Shutterstock.com)

Brent Crude jumped over a dollar at opening this morning, while on the NYMEX, gas and diesel were both up over 4 before 10am. By noon both products surged up well over 5 cents, and products across the board continued to surge upward throughout the day.

 At the close, ULSD settled out at 1.9239 (+.0531) and RBOB closed at 1.9956 (+.0711). WTI closed up 1.53 to 57.69.

So what's going on? 

The Saudi's resumed airstrikes on target cities in Yemen yesterday, one day after supposed peace talks. Saudi Arabia is again calling on the White House to propose a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

Long story short, the deal in Yemen is that Shiite Houthi rebels have overtaken the Presidential palace, and if they can successfully pull off a coup, there is a very real danger of serious supply disruptions.

About 4% of global oil supply passes through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which is controlled by the central government in Yemen, according to the EIA.

Traders are closely watching the situation for any indication of a resolution or escalation because of the potential supply implications involved. 

Yemen also relies on exporting it's own oil resources, which have declined in volume significantly since 2001 as a result of internal fighting. Their economy relies on oil exports to the tune of 60% of their revenue give or take.

Essentially, not only would a rebel coup in Yemen spike oil prices on transport concerns, but would collapse the Yemeni economy and likely lead to repurcussions and fighting throughout the region. 

Stay tuned, and don't forget to fill your car up before the increase hits the pumps!

 

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RBOB Heats Up on EIA Inventory Shortfall

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

Today's EIA Inventory report for the week ending April 17th showed a build of 5.5mmb on Crude, but a drop of 2.1mmb on gasoline. Interestingly, even though analysts had projected a mere 2.6mmb build in Crude while the actuals were more than double that, Crude ticked upwards along side RBOB and ULSD initially before settling back down.

Stocks were up across the board basically today as well, on positive economic signs - 71.9% of S&P companies who have reported earnings have reported earnings above analyst expectations. Additionally, housing sector reports indicate a jump in existing home sales of over 6% for March versus February, which is also an 18 month high - a good sign for the economy and also a factor in pushing todays stocks up. 

On the negative side, bombing resumed today in Yemen, precisely ONE day after peace talks, which may or may not impact the markets tommorow.

At the close, gas retreated from the intraday high of +.0424 to close out at 1.9245 (+.0364) and ULSD closed up +.0176 to 1.8708, with Crude closing off -0.45 to 56.16.

Stay tuned!

 

 

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NYMEX Slows Acceleration after Yesterday's Spikes

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

Today the NYMEX settled out much more reasonably than yesterday, with ULSD finishing off up .0192 to 1.908, and RBOB settled down 6 points to 1.9354. 

Yesterday was another story however, with prices shooting up on the lower than anticipated stock levels in this weeks EIA storage report. Crude was up over 3% shortly after the report, a little before 11am. At the close, ULSD ticked up .0871 to 1.8888 and RBOB shot up a solid dime to 1.936. 

In addition to the EIA report, there's been more grumblings on production cut backs from OPEC, although as usual the Saudi's are holding firm. The Saudi position is starting to seriously impact US production - hence the lower than anticipated numbers on the EIA's report, and the resultant market freak out. 

As of last week the US Crude inventories were at their 80 year high, so the reaction seems somewhat extreme. However, the actual numbers were about 30% of the projected increase so that obviously caused some concern about how hard the impact from another huge OPEC production month really is. Also, once again these events coincide with rumblings from the Fed on economic policy, specifically the interest rate level as well as continued problems in Yemen.

Deja vu all over again. 

Stay Tuned!

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Job Reports, Inventories & International Issues Keep Volatility Going

 

It's been a while, so while the markets closed today, lets take a quick look back at whats been happening (some "light reading for your Friday afternoon)

The economy -

After positive reports in February, the March jobless numbers released today were something of a dissapointment. Only 126K jobs were added, which broke a 12 month streak of 200K+ jobs per month being added. This raises some eyebrows on the state of the economic recovery but some analysts are blaming the extended winter, arguing that the normal pick up in seasonal and construction industry jobs is simply delayed because of the cold. 

This lackluster jobs number, however, will once again probably have Wall Street see-sawing over speculations on the Fed interest rates, its probably unlikely to happen soon (I know, deja vu) given the weakness of the report. With the market closed today though we won't see what if any impact this will have until next week.

Commodities and Pricing

This weeks EIA report for the week ending March 27th showed Crude Inventories at record highs for the 12th straight week (+4.8mmb to 471.4mmb). Gasoline dropped 4.3mmb, way over analyst predictions of a less than 1mmb drop. We've seen stronger than expected demand in gasoline, particularly in January and thats sort of underlying its volatility at the moment - if you recall, RBOB jumped .0612 Wednesday on the report, but then pared the gains on Thursday, closing out -.0699 to 1.7613.

The main underlyer on the volatility over the past few weeks is more politically driven - we saw jumps on the NYMEX when it was announced that Saudi Arabia had begun airstrikes on Yemen. Additionally, the Iranian nuclear deal has some traders and speculators on edge, and continuing issues with ISIS and the ongoing strikes against them are keeping Middle East tensions higher than we'd all like to see. Luckily for the most part, days we've seen spikes on international turmoil have usually been reversed with a few days. It's likely this will continue unless there's some real movement or resolution on any of the aforementioned issues. Til then, hold onto your hats and enjoy the ride!

 

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Inventories and Saudi Market Moves Continue to Push Oil Prices Down

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

Oil continued downward today on the back of the EIA inventory report for last week that indicated Crude stockpiles were up 9mmbl to a record high of about 407mmbbls. At the close, Crude dropped below $45/bbl, -1.78 to 44.45. ULSD and RBOB closed lower as well, ULSD settling down .0310 to 1.6318, and RBOB settled down .0051 to 1.345.

In addition to the inventory report, as we mentioned, the new Saudi leader has indicated the largest OPEC producer will continue on its track to hit production goals set. Both of these factors mean traders are still concerned with longterm over supply, which is continuing to drive down prices.

The Saudi stock market shot up today as well on rumors of relaxing restrictions on foreigners trading that market. This ties back to the oil oversupply, in that most are crediting the Saudi's potential move of opening the market up as a way to raise revenue and stimulate the economy in the non-energy sectors, which indicates further that the current oversupply will be a long term situation.

In other news, the House today passed a bill to expedite the process for permitting LNG exports. With the increase in US Nat Gas production (the US is currently the worlds top producer), the thought is exporting would not only be economically beneficial for the US but exporting to Europe could reduce the essential monopoly Russia has on natural gas supply in those nations. 

At the same time that passed the House, a Keystone bill continued to languish in the Senate when the attempt to pass a procedural motion to push the vote failed Monday. One of the ammendments to the current bill is a proposal to eliminate the ethanol mandate portion of the RFS - this will be an important one to watch, certainly.

Stay tuned!

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Saudi's to Stay the Course Despite New Leadership

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

Quick note on the news this week - King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia died yesterday, temporarily rattling the markets. 

We discussed before that the Saudi stance on keeping OPEC hitting its production targets was a major factor in the continuing downward trends in the markets. Brent Crude shot up temporarily on the news - up about 2%,  but came off highs as the day progressed. 

The new ruler, King Saldman stated there would be no change to what he called the "correct policies" on oil the country has stood by even in the face of the 60% drop in prices. Additionally, the oil minister under Abdullah will keep his position in the new regime, which further implies that Saudi Arabia will stay the current course, and served to calm traders back down as the trading day wore on. 

On this side of the pond, today we saw ULSD close out +.0088 to 1.6467, and RBOB closed up .0053 to 1.3479. 

 

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The Swiss Rock Stocks, NYMEX Goes Along for the Ride

Man grasping his head looking at computer screens

 

So a quick rundown on what's been happening in the markets this week:

Inventories

The inventory report from the EIA for this past week pegged Crude up 5.4mmb, to its highest level for this time of year in over 80 years. 

Gasoline inventories were up 3.2mmb, staying in the higher levels of the 5 year average for this time of year, and distillates were up 2.9mmb but remain in the lower half of the 5 year average range.

Markets

The stock markets across the globe went crazy today after the Swiss pulled a surprise move and removed the cap on the swiss franc (the cap keeps the franc artificially low versus other currencies), sending the Euro markets into chaos.Back here at home, dissapointing financial sector numbers pulled stocks down as well. The S&P dragged down with energy players and Best Buys' 10.9%  tumble.

The markets closed down across the board in the US,for the fifth day in a row.

The NYMEX closed down in tandem. Weak global financial data, plus the disappointing domestic bank earnings reports pushed oil down right along with stocks on a renewed concern about global demand levels in the face of oversupply.

Yesterday gas closed up over 8 cents, but today's drop erased a little over 5 cents of the gain. ULSD closed down a little over 3 cents to settle out at 1.6233, more than erasing Wednesdays gain of .0222.

Crude closed out at 46.23 (-2.23) a drop of a little over 4%. 

 

Politics

Yet another Keystone Pipeline bill has gone through Congress, and early this week it passed the procedural hurdles required to get it onto the Senate floor. Debate is expected to continue through the week, with a potential vote on Friday. 

The court case in Nebraska disputing the route of the pipeline has been settled, in theory removing the last remaining obstacle to the project moving forward.

President Obama has vowed to veto the bill, and it doesnt appear at the moment that the legislature has the votes to overturn the veto, so we shall see what happens there. 

 

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Commodity Slide Continues Into 2015

Barrel of oil with dollars falling around it

2015 is off to a wild start, with Crude dancing around and then dropping below $50/bbl. Wednesday (the 7th) Crude closed out at $48.65, yet another 5 year record. Gasoline and distillates have closed down every day this week, so it looks like the 2014 slide has no intention of stopping.

The inventories published this week showed:

  • Crude: 3.1 mmbbls draw
  • Distillate: 11.2 mmbbls build
  • Gasoline: 8.2 mmbbls build

Weakened demand pushed up distillate and gasoline inventories, as did a drop in import levels so we saw a build despite a concurrent drop in production. 

Interestingly, Bloomberg is reporting today that the U.S. exported a record amount of Crude oil in November of 2014 - the highest amount exported in fact, since record keeping began in the 1920s. This puts the U.S. into the 17th largest exporter spot. (You can read the full Bloomberg story here: "U.S. Oil Exports Jump to Record as Shale Production Booms )

Continuing builds and a ramp up in exports may be the future for domestic production, and long term this could in theory keep prices stable at a lower level. However, a lot depends on how the economy rebounds (or doesnt) both here and globally. Without a ramp up in demand, continued excessive production will continue to drive prices down but without tangible economic returns. 

Last week the stock market got crushed on dropping oil prices, but it closed up sharply Wednesday, and today all 3 major indexes are in strongly positive territory. 

At writing, FEB ULSD is trending up .0154, and RBOB is essentially flat, up .0005, with Crude trending up .22

Outer months August and beyond are all trading in the red for all products at the moment, though. 

We should see this week if the ups and downs get tighter than they have been (ie swinging a penny versus 6) if we start to settle into a new benchmark low, or if the slide keeps going strong. 

 

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Wild Week on Wall Street & The NYMEX; Everything Keeps on Tumbling!

 

Today was another wild day on the market, with ULSD closing down another .0376 to 2.0464, and RBOB closing out down a whopping .0818 to 1.6418. Analysts are crediting this with an "unexpected" increase in Crude stockpiles. WTI fell -2.60/bbl to 60.94, well below the previous 5 year low.

Monday was down as well, closing out -.0529 on ULSD and -.0668 on RBOB gasoline.

We saw a small jump up yesterday (ULSD +.0291 and RBOB +.0170) - likely just a bump-in-the-road overcorrection to stocks tanking on some bad news from Greece and China. This week saw Greek markets tank worse than they did before the crash a few years ago - obviously not good news for the European economy. 

OPEC also became a factor again with Iran railing against falling oil prices as a "conspiracy" and OPEC cutting its output estimate for 2015 to 2.89 million barrels per day, 300K lower than they originally forecast. However, despite the announcement Crude keeps right on plummeting. 

Wall Street Traders have been shouting about the Dow's inevitable march to 18,000, but today saw it close down for the third day in a row. Continuing pressure on stocks given that Fed rate hikes look like they may happen within the 6 month period doesnt bode well for the 18K mark, especially when you factor the weakness in foreign markets into the equation.

The S&P slumped on energy stocks as well, as some companies came out with plans to move on layoffs, restructuring, or selling shale plays. Despite a few plays going up for sale though, production domestically doesnt seem to be slowing down. However, a slow down in production in countries that have a high production cost is probably inevitable if the price hits a certain level - that includes the US and Venezuela. 

So it was a tough week for Wall Street, but the bright spot was for the average consumers as downward pressure keeps pushing down the price of gasoline. The Energy Department dropped its price forecast for retail gasoline to for next year at this time to $2.60/gallon, the second time its been revised down by over 30 cents a gallon since oil began its slide. Another bright spot domestically was an unexpectedly good jobs report on Friday, which is a good signal for the overall economy. 

 

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NYMEX Keeps Sliding on Dollar, Iraq, Margin Rates, and The Fed

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

Oil prices kept sliding this week on positive signs, despite a draw in US Crude supplies. 

Tuesday dropped on news of Iraqis striking an export deal with the Kurds that will resume the flow of oil from Kirkuk that had essentially been stalled out previously. Brent responded to the news by almost completely reversing its 3% gain on Monday and settling down $2 to $70.54. WTI, which was up 4% on Monday also dropped a little over $2 to close out at $66.88.

Besdies the Iraqi deal, factors in play in the selloff were also that the CME Group raised initial margins on crude oil futures by almost 16% which probably spurred sell offs, and the dollar also hit a 4 year high, which continued to push commodities down across the board. 

On the NYMEX Tuesday both products tanked,  ULSD ended up at 2.1544 (-.0580) and gas closed at 1.8116 (-.0694). 

EIA Inventories out Wednesday saw draws on Crude (-3.5MMbbls) with builds in distillates and gasoline. NYMEX still closed down, although far more moderately than Tuesday's drop off, with ULSD settling out at 2.1334 (-.0210) and Gas settling out at 1.807 (-.0046). 

The Fed's "beige book" notes came out Wednesday as well and were generally positive on the economy as a whole  and referenced the growth potential from lower energy prices, especially from consumer spending.

There is also some positivity in the shale situation, despite the falling prices from oversupply, analysts are still predicting a minimum increase in production for 2015 of 500,000bpd, in addition to production from new Gulf projects set to come online in the near future. 

Today the trends continued, with Crude landing at 66.81 (-.57), ULSD settling out at 2.1177 (-.0159) and gas at 1.7948 (-0114), possibly on the belief that we're going to see a positive jobs report tommorow. Will be interesting to see how the market reacts to its release. (When was the last time anyone guessed the jobs report numbers correctly, anyway?)

Stay tuned!

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Commodities Rally after Record Drops, up 3% on Crude

Stock market numbers on a digital board

After the mulityear lows hit last week, oil started to rally today.

We're still lower than prior to the OPEC production announcement, but today saw ULSD up +.0512 to 2.2124 at the close, and Gas rallied up +.0534 to 1.881 at the close. WTI Crude closed up 2.99 to 69.00/bbl

Analysts are hopeful for an equilbrium price level between $70 and $75 so we're at least much more comfortably close to maintainence levels than we were on Friday. However, even at $70, shale production isnt terribly profitable, so on that side it wouldnt be the greatest benchmark. However, on the consumer level $60 sounds better than $70/bbl when you fill up your car. 

(And yes, the analysts are hoping for $70 while panicking about $40. C'est la vie, right?)

So why did we go up? 

The dollar weakened some, which almost always gives commodities a little bump. 

Most likely though, its just a pull back from an overreaction in selling off on Friday. 

Time will tell. The next few market days should be interesting to watch, especially with the inventory numbers out Wednesday. 

Stay Tuned!

 

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Double Black Friday - Commodities & Spending Both Dropped Off

Black Friday overlaid on dollars

A doubly "Black Friday" this year as OPECs decision resulted in a commodities free fall. The second part is that it was hoped that the relief consumers have been getting at the pump since the summer would have helped boost retail sales for the season. As the numbers are coming in though, it's not looking good.

Despite the mayhem in shopping centers we've all seen on YouTube, it looks like Black Friday spending was down 0.5% or so this year over last (bad news, as last year was not a stellar one). 

Today is cyber monday - but dont look to that for relief and an influx of money to retailers either - analysts project that Cyber Monday sales will be off around 3% this year over last. 

The NYMEX was down this morning but has rallied into positive territory again, but who knows for how long. 

Analysts across the board are now pegging the new "floor" price to be around $40/bbl, with Murray Edwards, the Canadian Natural Resources Chairman saying WTI could drop to $30, although he does not expect thats where it would stabilize for very long. (As reported in Business Insider this morning).

Why so low? 

Well, the global picture is still lackluster, to put it as kindly as possible. Japan is back into a recession, and Moody's downgraded their credit rating. Chinese economic growth is still in the toilet, which puts their demand level in the same place.

It appears the move by OPEC to keep prices falling to maintain market share is working, US exports to Asia have essentially screeched to a halt as low Middle East prices become more attractive to the Asian markets. 

It's not all doom and gloom from the analysts though, Goldman Sachs maintains its $75/bbl forecasted price for WTI for 2015, maintaining the assumption that the OPEC move is to slow US production by reducing profitability and "test the bottom" as it were. However, once they get a feeling for the level they may want prices to start going up again, as so many OPEC nations economies rely on oil generated revenue. Its probably likely Russia enters the debate soon as falling oil revenue is tanking the Ruble and their general economy is really feeling the pinch. 

Stay tuned!

 

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OPEC Decision Puts NYMEX into Free Fall - Gas Closes Under $2!

OPEC nation flags in a circle around an oil rig

The market is tanking across the board (and dragging the S&P with it) on the results of the OPEC meeting for November on Wednesday. The meeting officially cemented the long suspected decision by the cartel to keep oil production and output at current levels, despite the crashing prices and global glut of Crude oil. 

Saudi Arabia determined production would remain at current levels - as the largest producer in the group, they essentially set the policy. Several smaller members reportedly wanted to curb supply to raise prices, largely because a huge part of their country's economy runs off of the money generated from oil sales. 

Today we're just watching product prices tank across the board, Crude is below 70 for the first time in almost 5 years. Today's trading alone saw a 9% decline in price. Yowza.

Crude closed out the day at 66.15, -7.54/bbl.

ULSD closed out -.1657 to 2.2308 for December and -.1679 to 2.1612 for January (this was the last day for DEC trading)

Gas closed off -.1312 to 1.9039 for December trading and -.1843 to 1.8276 for January. Under 2 dollars on the screen?! Its been quite some time since thats been the case!

There could be some interesting geopolitical and other ramifications from the record drops on commodities. Countries like Russia who base a lot of their economy on projected oil revenue are really feeling the decline, and we will have to see how long their economies can withstand the steep drop in renevue. 

Domestically, the resultant falling gas prices are a positive for consumers obviously. They can also be a huge relief to construction, manufacturing, and transportation companies, as well as general retailers.

Its said that every ten cent drop in the price of gasoline unlocks 3 billion dollars to be spent elsewhere. (According to Wells Fargo). We may get a quick confirmation or refutation of that theory when the numbers start rolling in on the prime shopping season that kicked off today with the infamous "Black Friday", the Superbowl of shopping. 

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NYMEX Tanking Despite Inventory Draws

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

 

The EIA inventory report for the week ending November 7 showed draws in Crude & Distillates, with a build in gasoline. Crude drew down 1.7MMb and distillates drew down 2.8MMb, while gas built 1.8MMb.

Watching the screen though, you wouldnt think we showed draws - ULSD and RBOB are both dropping like the proverbial stone - both products had intraday lows well over 6 cents, with gas dropping down 8 for a few. 

UPDATE - ULSD close 2.3621 (-.0848) and Gas -.1054) - Yikes!! January& February gasoline closed under $2 at 1.9827, and 1.9899, respectively

So whats going on? Why even with a draw down on products, and once again heightening tensions in Russia/Ukraine are commodities dropping?

The jobless number report was higher than anticipated by about 10,000, but the numbers are still are hanging near a 14 year low so that ought not be a huge factor in either commodity numbers, or the stock market. The stock market, by the way, is retreating a little from it's record highs and hanging flat on the back of falling energy shares once again, due to falling prices. 

We still are in the same situation with OPEC and American production being sky high, and global demand due to economic growth being anemic at best, so the dismal supply demand situation is still at play.

Going out on a limb I would credit the extra oomph of todays drop off to lots of news regarding Keystone - with a bill being pushed through to the Senate that will actually make it to the floor, things are being shaken up on the energy front. Word is, in an attempt to save the seat of Landreiu, from Louisianna, who faces a runoff election challenge next month, Senate leader Reid has agreed to allow the legislation to the floor. 

Although most talking heads seem to think Obama will veto - still, the implication is that the midterms probably will be forcing some of the top energy agenda items through, and thats good news  - unless of course you fixed high, in which case dropping energy prices might start hitting you in the wallet very soon. 

How low can we go?

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NYMEX Flips on EIA Data, Stocks Continue to Surge

 Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table
 
Analysts predicted Crude would build in the neighborhood of 1.2million barrels for the week ending October 31. The market hung flat until the report's release at 10:30 this morning and initially jumped up after.

The EIA data showed builds of only 0.5 MMbbls on Crude and draws in all other products. Distillates were down 0.7MMbbls, and Gasoline was down 1.3MMbbls.

The Market jumped up over 3 cents at 11 after the report came out, but has since backed off significantly with ULSD hanging up relatively flat (.0025 - .0049 range) and gasoline hovering up almost 2 cents (.0187) for most of the early afternoon.

The Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 all surged into positive territory today. Historically, stocks tend to go up post Midterm elections as there generally is a lot of uncertainty leading up to them, and traders may have a clearer picture of what agenda items will be moved on and their results once the dust settles and the votes are cast.

Also, as we mentioned, the ADP report was good for October, which is always a positive.

The commodities price slide we've seen has hit the brakes on the newest EIA Inventory reporting, which is probably why the S&P isnt dropping on energy share prices. Exxon, Chevron and Shell are all trending up this afternoon.

At the close, ULSD settled out -.0040 to 2.4387, and gas settled up +.0087 to 2.0867. The Dow is set for a record close, the S&P is holding strongly positive and the Nasdaq is falling slightly. Crazy, crazy day on the markets!

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Stocks Rebound on Election, Energy Shares Continue to Falter on Cheap Crude

Stock market numbers on a digital board

The Dow & Nasdaq were up in pre-market trading on news of a Republican sweep last night, and stocks are continuing to rebound this morning after Tuesdays drop off. The exception to this rule being energy shares, which are pulling the S&P down on the back of plummeting Crude prices. 

The ADP report on October job creation came in at 230K, 10K above the projected number. Strong payroll numbers for October and September, continually falling initial jobless claims and a surprisingly good Q3 growth number (3.5%) are all good signs for the overall economy.

However, there is still the factor of weakening global growth and demand, which will probably keep the domestic growth pace a lot slower than we'd all prefer. The Q4 growth number is expected to be much less exciting than Q3, thanks to global concerns. 

We saw WTI touch on a 3 year low yesterday on the back of the Saudi price cuts, oversupply, and booming production in the US. This is pulling energy shares down and impacting oil field companies and major industry players, as Crude starts to touch levels that make expensive shale play exploration an increasingly less profitable proposition.

 The Platts pre-report on US inventories is projecting the EIA report will show another build in Crude of about 1.2million barrels. Currently the NYMEX is relatively flat ahead of the EIA report's scheduled release at 10:30 this morning.

We should see then if the analysts got it right, and what, if any, impact the stock data will have on pricing moving forward. 

 

 

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Election Day Free Fall for WTI, Stocks

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

Everything is dropping across the board today - WTI is maintaining itself under the $80 benchmark (currently -1.76 at 78.78/bbl), Gas and ULSD are both down over 5 this morning on the NYMEX and the Dow and Nasdaq are both following suit into the red. 

So whats going on?

The reason the dropoff has escalated today in particular is likely due to the Saudi announcement that they will discount Crude imported to the US, which has really ramped up the economic pressure on fracking companies.

It appears the Saudi price pressures are starting to take effect on American production, with Chevron and Shell both announcing scale backs in popular shale plays and exploration proposals.

The estimated cost per barrel extraction in the US is around $60, which is about double the production cost for the Saudis. So when WTI is getting toward the mid 70's/bbl the profitability starts to drop off, and quickly. 

Additionally, the trade deficit is at a 4 year high, as global growth remains at a crawl, further dropping demand and therefore prices in the face of ever increasing supply. Slow global growth demand plus a strong dollar put a damper on exports. Additionally, construction spending fell in September, so the economic outlook for Q4 aint looking so good, and seems to be bringing the bears out across the board.

Stay tuned!

 

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Goldman Sachs Cuts Price Forecast for Oil: Projects $75/bbl Benchmark

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Goldman Sachs has revised its projected oil prices for 2015 to $75/bbl for WTI and $85/bbl for Brent Crude, in response to ramped up supplies and slow projected global economic growth. 

Production from the US, Brazil, and the Gulf is projected to increase almost 1 million bpd, combined, and OPEC production is assumed to remain more or less stable - with gains in Iraqi production and drops in Libyan output essentially cancelling one another out. 

Like wev'e talked about, OPEC may curb production to offset the decline at some point, and analysts seem to think 75 may be the price point at which US shale production slows and spurs OPEC to drop production. Its unlikely they will make major moves until US production shows signs of slowing against low margins, or thats the prevailing theory, anyway. 

Oil was down today on that and other ho-hum economic news, and stocks fell in tandem. Europe settled 2.2 billion in bond purchases today in a preventative move against deflation, and the re-election of Brazilian President Rouseff reversed the hope some had that the country would move in a more positive, business-friendly direction. 

On the NYMEX, ULSD closed off -.0066 and gas settled out at 2.11702, down -.0115 for the day. 

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OPEC Chatter Drives up BRENT, Friday Trading Reverses CRUDE Rally

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

Thursday saw prices tick up after it was reported that the Saudi's output dropped from 9.69 million barrels to 9.36 million barrels. There has been some chatter and concern around the scheduled OPEC meeting in November. The concern being that OPEC will push curbing supply to stop the price declines we've seen in recent months. Brent Crude was up 3% on the news, the highest its been in 4 months.

However, despite the OPEC chatter, the Saudi's have said they will keep output at scheduled high levels even with lower pricing to maintain market share. Additionally, reportedly only a small number of members have suggested supply curbing.

US Inventories surged on this weeks EIA report as well, up 7.1 million barrels to a little over 377 million barrels, which was about twice what analysts predicted, and hopefully helps to calm some of the potentially unfounded fear of OPEC that's pushing volatility. 

If we look back, the 20% drop in crude pricing we've seen over the past several months have been directly related to an abundance of supply, and with US oil production surging ahead, and the Saudi's not indicating they will initiate any sort of hold back to drive prices up, the situation remains the same and the volatility should back off. However, it's possible that some roller coastering will remain until after the meeting, when its officially settled whether or not we have to worry about supply curbing. 

The market seems to concur today, though, with both Brent and WTI trending back downwards.

ULSD & RBOB are trending down on the NYMEX today as well, down about a penny and a half on both at the moment. Both products closed up significantly yesterday - ULSD +.0256 to 2.499 and gas up +.0513 to 2.2069, which effectively cancelled out Wednesdays drops of .0398 and .0578, for those keeping score at home.

 

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OPEC Tensions and "Break Even" Testing Pause NYMEX Dropoff

Abstract image of an oil rig, dollars and a calculator

Thursday we saw ULSD settle out to erase most of Wednesdays drop - Wednesday it closed down -.0136 to 2.4586, and Thursday settled out at 2.4703 (+.0117). Gas not only erased Wednesday's 3 cent drop, but rebounded up +.0622 for the day to 2.2109. This morning, ULSD is trending up about a penny/penny and a half, while gas is hanging in the +.005 range, both having backed off earlier jumps.

So what's going on?

EIA stock reports came out Thursday (thanks to Columbus Day) and showed a build in Crude (+8.9 million barrels), a drop in gasoline (-4 million barrels) and distillates were down as well (-1.5 million barrels). CRUDE actually hit a 52 week low for a brief moment Thursday morning prior to the reports' release but ended up settling out at 82.70

With a decent stock report though, why is everything up when we've been on such a streak? Most likely culprit is the increasing tension slash standoff within OPEC. Historically, when prices dropped below a certain benchmark and started impacting the revenue of OPEC nations they could slow production output somewhat to stabilize. 

But now with thee US becoming a major player in global supply, thing have gotten a little awkward. Its possible that normal rampdowns in output will no longer have the huge impacts on price they once did, given that these nations are now not essentially the only players making an impact. 

However, a lot of analysts speculate that the reason OPEC is taking the giant hits to their nations' revenue without stalling production is an attempt to "find the bottom" and let supply run up to test what level American production can maintain in the face of dropping prices, especially given that the projected minimum level would be around $80 in order to still be profitable production from Shale.

Additionally, in comparison to OPEC operations, a lot of American projects are just that - projects - and in the face of falling revenue, its possible some of the higher cost, longer payout projects will stall out. However, given the remarkable jumps in efficiency from fracking to refinining we've seen domestically, it will be interesting to see where that level might actually be.

Given the weakness of the global economy, raising prices may be a tricky game with less return than anticpated as well, given the concurrent drop in demand. Saudi Arabia, who produces about a third of the OPEC output also looks motivated to maintain market share by any means necessary even at a short term loss in revenue. Specifically it appears motivated to maintain market share in the Asian teritorries - which will probably become even more relevant to them over the coming years, especially if the Alberta to St John pipeline project is approved which would open Canada up to export and become yet another global competitor on supply. 

 

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Retail & Market Prices Drop on Crude Supply & Pricing

Fuel pump filling up a commuter car

EIA weekly petroleum report showed inventory gains across the board.

Analysts had expected much smaller builds in CRUDE than the actuals, and had anticipated drops in both gasoline and distillate inventories - neither of which came to fruition. (Who are these "analysts" anyways - not even CLOSE, guys!)

  • CRUDE: inventories jumped 5 million barrels. (Expectation was a build of 1.9 million barrels)
  • Gasoline: inventories jumped 1.2 million barrels, while the EIA showed a drop in consumption of 1.3%. (Analysts had anticipated a 900K barrel drop)
  • Distillates: inventories were up 400K barrels. Both production and consumption levels dropped for distillates. (Analysts had antipated a 1.2 million barrel drop) 

Retail gasoline prices in the US have been trending downward big time, spurred on by the drop in CRUDE prices, as well as weakening demand. The reported average for last week was 3.41/gal in September which is almost 30 cents below the average price 4 months ago. AAA is reporting that the current average gasoline price is $3.267 - a little over 8 cents a gallon cheaper than this time last year. 

Lower global demand, high supply, and a bleak global economic outlook (we're looking at you Europe) dropped Brent Crude to lows we havent seen in years - September was the first time Brent traded under $100/bbl in 2 years, and last week saw Brent hit $92, close to a 27 month low.

WTI is trading down as well, having broken through several resistance levels, and hit $86.20 after the EIA report hit this morning. (At the moment its -1.53 to 87.32 on the electronics)   

The NYMEX is trending down today again, currently ULSD is down over 3 cents (-.0326 to 2.5747) and RBOB is down over 4. (-.0466 to 2.3217)

Stay Tuned!

 

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IMF News, Germany, and the Dollar Pushing Markets Down

Magnifying class showing the Internation Monetary Fund logo

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) announced this morning it was downgrading its outlook for Global growth in the wake of disappointing growth in the Euro Zone and Japan. This is the third time this year the IMF has revised its outlook down (this time to 3.3% from 3.8%) and out of the last twelve forecasts in the past 3 years, they've revised 9 of the estimates down. According to Fox News, the IMF consistently has based projections off of an assumption that wealthier nations would be able to reverse their high debt, high unemployment environments a lot faster than they have been.

The IMF's gloomy outlook on the Euro Zone and bleak projections for growth potential in emerging markets has been another force behind the rally of the US dollar, as the US economy has started to stabilize versus other major nations, especially France and Germany. Germany hit a record 5 year low on industrial production, not good considering they are one of the critical economic players in the zone. 

The news from the IMF pushed US stocks down at the open this morning, understandably. A related factor in the downwward push was the IMF warned that increased interest rates by the US Fed could stall progress in the US - and since essentially they are reporting that the US and Britain are holding everything afloat outlook wise - thats really not good economic news for anyone. 

Commodities are pushing down today, with Germany's abysmal output pushing the dollar higher. The stronger the dollar, the higher relative cost to non-dollar currency becomes, which would push demand even lower in Europe, especially in tandem with a slower economy overall. 

This week will see reports out from the US Energy Information Agency (EIA), the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), and the International Energy Agency (IEA) -- all of whom are expected to project lower demand as well. 

As of noon, CRUDE is trending down -.97, ULSD is down -.025 and RBOB is down -.0404 with all looking like the trend will continue throughout the afternoon. 

Stay tuned!

 

 

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Monday Puts the Brakes on Friday's NYMEX drops

It's Monday :( overlaid on asphault

Monday strikes again!

Friday saw Brent Crude drop to almost a 27 month low, dropping to $92/bbl, and WTI for November trading at its lowest level since April 2013.

Today we started with ULSD trending down and gas up slightly, and gas continued to climb through the early afternoon. At the close, ULSD settled up 50 points to 2.6213 and gas shot up +.0347 to 2.4132. Thanks a lot, Monday.  

The dollar continued to strengthen throughout last week, and an unexpectedly good (a relative term) jobs report for the US Friday provided further evidence that the economy is stable to moving forward. The dollar continues to soften commodity futures generally, despite the current geopolitical atmosphere.

Today stocks pushed lower in the US on concerns that the dollar (which actually dropped slightly today) and continued good economic news would push the Fed to raise interest rates. The Fed minutes are due out Wednesday, which should give investors a better idea on the timeline. 

Additionally, supply remains strong and is surprisingly mitigating the factors we almost always see a surge in premium and volatility with. 

There is concern among some analysts slash talking heads that a drop to below $90 per barrel on Brent will spook OPEC into pressuring the Saudi's to cut demand. However, OPEC production hit a 2 year high in September (31 million bpd) and thus far, as discussed, the Saudi's have vowed to hold production targets. We also saw rising production in Russia and Libya, so despite a potential benchmark issue there appear to be no issues on the horizon on the supply side (knock on wood).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Commodities, Stocks and Consumer Confidence Drop

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

November traded down huge today on the NYMEX with ULSD closing down -.0577 to 2.6505, and RBOB closing down -.0769 to 2.4373. October trading ended today, with the month closing ULSD at 2.6472 and RBOB at 2.5869. 

Analysts are predicting a supply build ahead of the EIA data due out tommorow in the neighborhood of 1.5 million barrels on CRUDE. Like we mentioned last week, the stable to increasing supply levels domestically have been a huge factor in keeping prices less volatile globally, in spite of the global insanity happening right now, especially surrounding the air strikes against ISIS.

US Supply is growing, and concerns over Libya's production are waning since they've been hitting production targets, so supply disruption in Iraq becomes an increasingly less catastrophic possibility. US import declines too serve to "free up" global supply for others, which let's everyone relax a little on potential disruptions. 

Brent and WTI are both poised to hit their biggest quarterly declines in 2 years.

The dollar strengthened for the quarter, surging up 7% - the biggest gain for a single quarter since 2008. As we've seen historically, a strong dollar can soften commodity prices, and thats probably another factor in the pullback we've seen. The dollar also impacted stocks this week, causing them to stumble hard Monday, despite increases in consumer spending reported. The concern is that the Fed is winding down its tapering and may hike interest rates in the near future if the economy is advancing and the dollar strengthening - this kind of speculation on the Fed almost always has a ripple of sell offs surrounding it, like we saw earlier this year. 

Stocks went lower today on the backs of energy stocks pushed lower on the dropping prices, and dissapointing consumer confidence index numbers. 

 

 

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Targeting ISIS - Oil Prices & Air Strikes

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 Supplies & EIA Data

August saw record high export levels - 3.96 million bpd, up 17% year on year, and refinery output was also up 2.3% over last August. We also saw Crude production surge 16% - largely from Eagle Ford and Bakken shale formation drilling, and on the flip, imports dropped to 7.6 million bpd for the month - the lowest import level seen in August for over 18 years. 

However,EIA data for this past week showed large draws - attributed to those same lower imports we saw over the August period. Crude Supplies were down over 3 million barrels, way off of the 750k barrel gain forecasted by analysts. Gasoline showed draws as wel -lin the neighborhood of 440k barrels.  These draws in supply are supporting the current price levels we are seeing. 

 

ISIL/ISIS & Syria

This week kicked off a coordinateed air strike camaign between the US and primarily Arab Allies bombing ISIS/ISIL targets in Syria.  

Reports are that the major source of funding for ISIS is blackmarket oil - they may be generating up to 3 million dollars PER DAY.

US supplies may actually be a critical factor in targeting ISIS. Why? Because high US stockpiles help stabilize global prices, and lower global prices mean lower blackmarket prices, which hurts ISISs ability to self fund.

Saudi Arabia & OPEC in theory could threaten to curb supply to maintain or force high prices -that would be better for their revenue- however, the Saudis have said they will not change any agreed upon supply. Why? 

Because they want ISIS out of the picture too, so even though this years slide in pricing is hurting the bottom line for some oil producing nations - maintining lower prices forces ISIS to keep cutting the price on black market oil to maintain the discount and the lower it goes, the lower their revenue drops. Add to this that 12 modular refineries are targets for the air strike and you effectively dry up their ability to self fund, as well as their ability to fuel their operations. So, for the Saudis et al - a short term budget shortfall makes long term sense because it can take ISIS out of the equation entirely in the future (in theory anyway). 

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Inventory Shocker Reverses the RBOB Slide

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

A continuing poor outlook on gasoline demand and (presumably) increasing stockpiles continued to push RBOB futures down this week -  that is until it took an abrupt about face today on a shocker of an inventory report. Analysts were predicting a build of around 300,000 barrels but - surprise! - the report showed a draw of over 4 MILLION! 

ULSD settled up as well  - analysts had predicted a 900,000 barrel build and instead we saw a 1.8 million barrel drop. 

If you were stuck to the screen today, we saw NYMEX react to the panic, with gas going up over 5 cents and ULSD up over 3 breifly, before both backed down some. At the close, gas settled up .0242 to 2.7397, and ULSD closed out up .0292 to 2.8761. 

Prior to today prices were looking to go the right way - Monday saw CRUDE futures hit a 6 month low. The month of July saw WTI fall by over 6%, which is the biggest drop we have seen in more than 2 years. Prices had hit a high of 104.59 on fears over Russian supply (export) disruption after the MH17 flight crashed in Ukraine, but have backed off since those fears haven’t come to fruition. 

Earlier this week additional seemingly positive economic indicators also pushed the dollar up, which often causes a drawback in commodity pricing - which we saw happening until today's inventory numbers were released. 

Reports indicated strong growth in the manufacturing  and service sectors, with the Commerce Department pegging manufactured goods orders and durable goods orders both up over 1%.  All of these are good signs (in theory at least) that the economy is continuing to strengthen, particularly given that the positive numbers surpassed projected expectations.  

Hopefully given the generally positive economic data for the week, traders adjust to the inventory shock quickly and we'll see a correction over the next few days. 

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Stocks Knocked Down on Jobless Numbers, NYMEX Slides Along With It

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

 

Stocks tumbled triple digits Thursday on a weak jobs report. The S&P 500 and Dow both erased all gains made for the month of July, and todays slides will put July solidly in the negative for the month.

Initial jobless claims spiked last week to 302,000 (up 23,000) over last week - last week being a 14 year low. Continuing claims jumped up by over 30,000 as well, indicating that the economy is still very much wounded, despite some other positive data last week (home sales, CPI, etc). US employment cost ticked up sharply as well (up 0.7 - the highest upswing in since 2008) due primarily to higher health insurance benefit costs per employee (read: Obamacare)

NYMEX continued down today as well, with September ULSD closing down 70 points to 2.8899, and RBOB closing down 0.0183 to 2.8311. Speculation is that with continued stable to increasing supply, the lack of demand means excess gallons so gas pricing is backing off (gasoline inventories were up 0.3MMbbls last week). Low demand/high supply concerns are obviously escalated with a dissapointing jobs report - a high number of initial and continuing unemployment recipients obviously does not bode well for consumer demand for gasoline. 

Meanwhile on the Russia/Ukraine front the newer sanctions are starting to have an impact on US & UK Energy companies. Most companies have been business as usual in the region, even as the conflict rages on, but the more recent sanctions may technically preclude certain slated or ongoing projects from going forward at this time. BP, ExxonMobil and Total all have projects or proposed projects in Russia and its unclear what impact they may be dealt. 

 

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Stocks Slide, Energy Rebounds, and MH17 Fallout Intensifies International Standoffs

Line charts depicting the stock market scattered on a table

Continuing fallout over the downed Malaysian jetliner led to increased international tensions today (deja vu?). Russia called US accusations that it supplied the anti aircraft missles responsible "groundless". President Obama insisted that Russian involvement warranted further sanctions by Western nations. And thats what we saw happen this afternoon - Canada issued new sanctions targeting financial and energy related companies (much like the US sanctions from last week) and instituted travel bans on certain individuals. 

Brent was obviously up on the news and continuing tensions that undermine stability in the markets and international relations in general. WTI was up today as well. ULSD closed up a whopping 0.0448 to 2.9157, despite distillate inventories hitting 125.9 million barrels (up 1.64 million barrels) . Gasoline took an unexpected jump as well today - after initially hanging flat to slightly down this morning and closing down 0.0233 yesterday. Inventories have been up on gas, while demand is uncharacteristically low for mid-sumer  (aka mid driving season). In fact, gasoline inventories hit a four week high - but demand hit a 6 week low, and prices still went up. Funny business. 

Additionally, its just breaking this afternoon that Israel has rejected a cease fire proposition brokered by the US, so expect ongoing turmoil there for the time being.

In the broader markets, - stocks slid basically across the board globally, with the exception of the S&P 500 and the Shanghai Index. US Treasury Yields were down and the dollar was up after dissapointing durable goods order numbers - poor numbers on durable goods indicate that there is a lack of capital expenditure still ongoing which is presumably due to a lack of confidence in the stability of the economy.

All in all another busy week with a lot of balls still in the air, and next Friday we can expect the Jobless Report, and the Fed makes a scheduled announcement on their continuing direction next Thursday,,,,, in other words the saga continues! 

Have a great weekend everyone!

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