Category Archives: Oil & Gas

Oil Backs Off … Nat-Gas Bottoms

April 17, 2024 By in Natural Gas, Oil, Oil & Gas, Prechter, UNG, USO

All, In Just Three Days

Let’s get started with where we left off, with oil.

The last update said this:

‘largest bullish positions, gasoline futures and options’

The one before that, said this:

‘ … we’re at the 161.8%, projection and USO is hesitating; at the same time, Nat-gas, UNG, appears to be forming a long-term bottom’

The implication was: We’re at a Fibonacci level in USO, while the ‘herd’ has positioned themselves (massively) long and Nat-Gas appears to be reaching a (potential) long-term low.

Three trading days later, we have this:

Oil Tracking Fund USO, Weekly

If you look closely, the grey dashed line, the Fibonacci 161.8% projection, is just visible and extends out of the green line, highlighting that level.

A possible, nascent reversal.

Way back in 1902, after studying the markets intently, Wyckoff, discovered the following (paraphrasing):

‘Forces were at work, moving prices around, independent of any fundamentals, not connected to any valuations.’

Nearly, a century later, Prechter says this as well in one of his many interviews (paraphrasing, again).

‘If somehow, I was able to give you the newspaper headlines for tomorrow, you would not be able to tell me if the market was going to go up or down’.

The media is presenting oil (gasoline) and Nat-Gas prices as inversely correlated. Looking at the topping chart of USO and the bottoming chart of UNG, it’s believable … for now.

Downward thrust in Nat-Gas UNG, appears to be exhausting itself after a 20-month, bear market.

Risk is never zero, but currently appears to be at a low for UNG (not advice, not a recommendation).

Stay Tuned

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Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

‘Bullish … ‘, Gasoline Futures

April 14, 2024 By in Oil, Oil & Gas, UNG, USO 2 Comments

The Crowd Bets On Higher Prices

Just a few hours after the update on Nat-gas and oil was released, we have this from ZeroHedge, link here.

‘largest bullish positions, gasoline futures and options’

So, what do we think is going to happen next?

Stay Tuned

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Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Nat-Gas, Goes Negative

April 13, 2024 By in Natural Gas, Oil, Oil & Gas, UNG, USO, Wyckoff, ZeroHedge 3 Comments

… At Least, In Texas

Storage facilities in Texas are paying to have someone take excess Nat-gas.

As this link says, the ‘reason’ for negative Nat-gas, is high oil prices prompt drillers to increase oil production, along with (by-product) Nat-gas, driving down the price.

We’ll cover Nat-gas (UNG) in a separate update which by the way, on Friday, posted another Wyckoff spring set-up.

The question du jour is, ‘does oil go higher from here?‘

If oil is going higher (or likely to go), then Nat-gas may be pressured downward for longer.

International Chaos

The amount of ‘pontificating’ from the media on what oil is, or is not going to do, is mind-numbing.

Wyckoff himself said, we’re attempting to find out ‘the next probable direction’ for the market, which of course, can never be known for sure.

With that, let’s go to the truth of the matter, the chart.

Oil Tracking Fund, USO, Weekly

Shown on the chart, is a Fibonacci projection from the lows of March 2023, to the first wave high of April ’23, then back down to the wave low, in May ’23.

It might be hard to see, so the first waves are highlighted with green dashed lines.

At this point, instead of asking the question ‘where’s oil going?’, a better question may be, ‘is the chart of USO “respecting” the Fibonacci projections?’

Looking at the chart, it’s an obvious, yes.

Right now, we’re at the 161.8%, projection and USO is hesitating; at the same time, Nat-gas, UNG, appears to be forming a long-term bottom (not advice, not a recommendation).

Stay Tuned

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Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Chevron’s Short Status & Forecast

January 31, 2023 By in CVX, Dr. Elder, Oil & Gas

Options Trade Update

The Put entry on Chevron CVX, was admittedly, late to the party.

From a trading and strategy perspective, when CVX, announced its ‘buy-back‘ program, that was the appropriate time to go short (not advice, not a recommendation).

With that in mind, the Put option detailed in the above link was closed towards the end of yesterday’s session.

Chevron could still collapse from here and that may ultimately be the outcome.

However, before that happens, as shown below, the more probable event is to come back up for a test of underside resistance.

Chevron CVX, 4-Hour

Note how thrust energy (blue arrow) to the downside is dissipating.

The chart below shows a potential outcome, if (and it’s a big if) CVX, is still in a significant reversal.

Examples presented on this site are just that: Examples

They show one “old-timer’s” perspective on the market and current events.

The examples can be used (or not) to aid in understanding market behavior or to show a different perspective on how to approach the current environment.

To paraphrase Dr. Alexander Elder:

‘There are many ways to make money in the markets … and even more ways to lose it’.

It’s about 20-minutes before the open. Let’s see what happens next.

Stay Tuned

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Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

The Chevron Crack-Up

January 27, 2023 By in CVX, Dr. Elder, Oil & Gas 1 Comment

A Long Way Down

The breakdown in Chevron (CVX) could spell real trouble.

The Oil & Gas Sector has already been covered extensively over the entire month of January.

Prior posts are here, here, here, here, here and here.

Some of the analysis was negated by subsequent price action and some of it not. This is the way of the markets.

However, the main theme was, this sector’s at an extreme, at risk for a major, swift and sustained downturn (not advice, not a recommendation).

Additional data that indicated extremes, including the Chevron (CVX) buy-back are below:

WTI ‘Cushing‘ Build Report

Investors ‘surge‘ back into oil.

Events like this, tend to indicate the end of a move.

Then today, Chevron (CVX) cracks.

In keeping with Elder’s method of trading options, as was done with the Delta Airlines (DAL) trade, the chart is documented below.

Note: The Delta Put expired with no revenue on the trade. This is how the method is implemented. Many small losses that are peppered by a significant gain (not advice, not a recommendation).

Chevron CVX, Daily

Over the next week, CVX could get ahold if itself and stabilize … or it could completely fall apart (not advice, not a recommendation).

We can already see, it appears to have posted a double top with a swift reversal.

Probabilities favor the downside.

Stay Tuned

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Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Oil & Gas … Reversal ?

January 24, 2023 By in DRIP, NEM, Oil, Oil & Gas, Wyckoff, XOP 1 Comment

Yesterday, Was ‘Day 13’

Monday was Fibonacci ‘Day 13’ from the January 4th, XOP, lows.

With about fifteen-minutes before the open, pre-market action in the XOP leveraged inverse fund DRIP, is trading slightly higher at 12.67.

So, was yesterday the day? Has XOP topped-out and now in the process of reversal?

As always with the markets, the price action itself, will show us the truth.

However, what can be stated with some confidence, is that we’re at a low-risk point for going short (not advice, not a recommendation).

‘Low-risk’, does NOT mean ‘no-risk’

XOP, New Low or New High

It’s somewhat straightforward at this point.

If XOP, posts a new daily low, it increases the probability of reversal. If it posts a new daily high, then price action is possibly on to new all-time highs.

Oil & Gas XOP, Daily Close

The daily chart shows the labored six weeks of rounded top that’s identified as ‘Up-Thrust’.

At present, XOP is testing the underside of that Up-Thrust.

The zoom version of the chart shows the amount of upside effort expended during the rounded top.

Price action spent over a month attempting to move higher, only to collapse into a downside reversal.

Now, we can see that wide price action area is being tested; not unlike the Newmont test as described here.

It’s what the market does.

Stay Tuned

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Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Oil … Gas … Gold & Newmont

January 21, 2023 By in Dow 30, GDX, GLD, GOLD, Gold & Silver, Gold Miners, Inflation, IYR, Michael Cowan, NEM, Oil & Gas, Prechter, QQQ, S&P, S&P 500, Speck-Effect, SPY, The Speck, Twitter, XOM, ZeroHedge 1 Comment

Markets, At Critical Juncture

Nemont Mining (NEM), Gold, and the Oil & Gas Sector are at a critical juncture.

The rest of the major indices, Dow, S&P, QQQs, real estate (IYR), and so on, are in a similar position.

For this update, we’ll focus on Newmont (NEM), as it’s the largest cap in the Senior Mining Sector GDX, and a general representative of the commodities markets.

Financial collapse is a process, not an event.

Newmont topped-out in April, of last year. Exxon, the proxy for the Oil & Gas sector, may have reached its highs this past November.

Where’s The Inflation?

As Michael Cowan has just reported, banks are absconding with depositor’s money under the guise of ‘bail-in’.

If the fiat cash is so worthless, why are banks seizing it?

As Robert Prechter Jr., said years ago, ‘all fiat cash ultimately goes to zero’; the end game (most likely) for the dollar. However, it could be months, years, or even a decade before that happens.

For right now, today, this minute, the data is showing us, the banks want the money; ‘Show me the money‘.

With that, let’s look at the non-existent ‘inflation’ in the mining sector.

Newmont Mining NEM, Weekly

The first chart identifies the heavy volume and then test of wide price bars. This behavior is common in the markets; they tend to come back and test wide high-volume areas.

Next, we see there’s a terminating wedge developing as volume declines; the inference, is lack of significant commitment at these price levels.

We’ll get close-in on the wedge; last week printed a lower weekly low and closed lower for the week.

There’s no breakdown of the wedge … yet.

At this juncture, it’s up to the bulls to show they’re still in control.

Inflation vs. Scarcity

We have without a doubt, the effects of the event from the past three years gaining momentum. Whether or not those effects reach a peak this year, is unknown.

A lot of the mainstream and YouTuber’s alike talk about the upward move in gold as the result of ‘inflation’.

Here’s a little bit of insight you’ll not find anywhere else; how about gold rising because the above mentioned ‘effects‘ are causing production volumes to decline?

Maybe it’s because of scarcity (along with nearly everything else) that’s causing the increase in price.

Just to drive that idea home, the latest total gold production numbers, listed here.

Gold production for 2020 dropped -8.2%, from the year prior. Year 2021 was down -1%, from 2020.

From 2010 to 1019, gold production increased or was flat year over year … that is, until 2020.

Stay Tuned

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Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Oil & Gas … The Reversal

January 19, 2023 By in DRIP, Oil & Gas, XOP, ZeroHedge 1 Comment

Form, Is First … Time, Is Next

With Price Action … form is first, then time.

There was a larger than expected crude inventory build, as ‘the consumer is weaker than expected’.

The ‘consumer’ is not weaker than expected, they’re tapped out.

There’s real potential, events accelerate from here.

The reversal in the sector, XOP, was anticipated to happen on Friday, tomorrow.

At this point, it looks like it came early.

The daily chart of XOP, below shows a reversal at the Fibonacci 50%, retrace.

Oil & Gas XOP, Daily

The next chart zooms-in on the reversal.

We’re about fifteen-minutes before the regular session and set to open lower.

Look for the market to print lower, then attempt a rally as a test of the reversal.

That retrace, if it occurs, may be a low-risk area for a short via DRIP (not advice, not a recommendation).

If the anticipated test fails, and price action makes a new daily high (above yesterday’s print), it’s then likely the sector is on its way to all-time highs.

Stay Tuned

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Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Oil & Gas … Breakout Update

January 16, 2023 By in Oil & Gas, Spring-to-Up-Thrust, XOP 2 Comments

Looking For ‘The Pattern’

There was no Oil & Gas, XOP breakout, last Friday.

What did happen as shown on the chart below, was a test of resistance.

The market can certainly reverse from here. If so, it would be called a ‘double top’.

Those types of reversals are common; but from a trading perspective, that’s not what we are looking for (not advice, not a recommendation).

We’re looking for ‘trapped money’.

That means, as many market participants on the wrong side of the trade as possible so they are the ones that provide fuel for the downside.

Marsha … Marsha … Marsha

Just like The Brady Bunch and its chant of ‘Marsha’ … ‘Marsha’ … ‘Marsha’ … we have the public being led into a similar mantra; ‘Inflation’ … ‘Inflation’ … ‘Inflation’.

With that kind of single mindedness, who’s even looking for a downside reversal?

That does not mean a reversal is imminent … it just means the public is not looking for one; in itself, a requirement.

On to the charts

Oil & Gas XOP, Daily

We’ll re-post the original chart to show how price action has progressed.

This past Friday marked Fibonacci Day 8.

The next chart is how action looks now.

Included, is a forecast (not advice, not a recommendation) of where and how price action may proceed.

If it’s a double-top, we may have already reversed.

If not, Fibonacci Day 13, might be this coming Friday or next Monday.

It could be as early as Friday (actually, 12-days of price action) based on work done years ago.

That is, when an American Holiday occurs while the rest of the world’s markets remain open, that day of closed markets can (sometimes) effectively count as an actual trading day.

So, it’s this coming Friday, or Monday-next, that may be a set-up for reversal.

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279

Oil & Gas … Breakout on Friday?

January 11, 2023 By in DRIP, Oil, Oil & Gas, Spring-to-Up-Thrust, Wyckoff, XOP 2 Comments

Repeating Pattern … ‘Spring-to-Up-Thrust’

When Oil & Gas Sector XOP, pushed above last week’s high, it negated the breakdown scenario.

At the same time, it opened another potential opportunity that may set-up this coming Friday … The 13th.

We’ve shown over and again, markets tend to exhibit repeating patterns. Things like trading ranges, terminating wedges, breakouts and breakdowns, are not new.

However, there’s a lesser-known characteristic; the tendency for a market to go straight from a Wyckoff ‘spring’, into an ‘up-thrust’.

That phenomenon is described at this link.

Currently, we’re about mid-way into the set-up as shown on the daily chart of XOP.

Oil & Gas XOP, Daily

Price action pushed below support (the spring set-up) and is now mid-way into that spring; potentially going straight into an up-thrust.

There was a reversal pivot on Fibonacci Day 5 (yesterday), which opens up the possibility of another time correlation at Fibonacci Day 8 … this coming Friday.

Before The Open

It’s about twenty-minutes before the regular open and XOP, is trading higher … further confirming we’re headed for a potential set-up and reversal (not advice, not a recommendation).

Stay Tuned

Charts by StockCharts

Note:  Posts on this site are for education purposes only.  They provide one firm’s insight on the markets.  Not investment advice.  See additional disclaimer here.

The Danger Point®, trade mark: No. 6,505,279