Energy Market Updates

Late yesterday we saw the overnight pits shoot higher once news surfaced that the FED was of the position to keep fund rate very low through the foreseeable future.  Citing continued slow economic growth, a European debt crisis, (that I recently read to be compare to "a pimple on a teenage boy") and a persistent unemployment rate that is still around 8.5%, the FED is still considering another round of quantitative easing later this winter.  Commodities have responded positively as the greenback fell to a six week low early this morning.  Still positive signs of an improving economy are are out there as durable good orders for December showed a 3% increase which unfortunately has a bullish effective on Futures.  The range for Heat has not broke and we continue to see sideways action as shown in the chart below.  At the end of the day, Crude added .30 to $99.70, RBOB gained .0128 to $2.8466 and HEAT jumped .0343 to $3.0535.

What is funny about Todays title is that it seems that I have used it several times over the last month!  Another Groundhog Day with the Market up strong on the overnight, falling into negative ground late in the day and ending as a mixed bag at the close.  Investors were eager to jump in overnight as many weighed the FED Chairman's comments and the reluctance to raise interest rates.  The decision to keep rates extremely low signals to investors that the US economy still has some hurdles to jump before we are all fat and happy again.  That policy is weighing heavy on the greenback, pushing it to a 33 month low.  We all know the corollary is the high Crude and product prices as inflationary hedges from investors.  The news the economy only grew 1.8% last quarter while most were expecting a 3.1% increase did little to ease rising NYMEX prices.  Yet around mid session a sell off materialized that had both products negative for some time.  HEAT was able finish in the red as it fell a mere 18pts to $3.2316, RBOB keeps pushing higher as it gained .0104 to $3.4298, while CRUDE gained .10 to $112.86.  With $28 crack spreads on gas, it is not hard to see how Exxon posted 69% Q1 profits.   While it is easy to point to middle eastern unrest as the cause of this surge, it is tough to defend as supplies in the US are still at very healthy levels.  End result is that this bubble has to burst.  Hopefully soon. 

After Fridays close, we were cautiously optimistic that we might have some downside over the next few sessions. That theory was quickly thrown in the garbage can as news...