Natural Gas Technical Analysis and Near-Term Outlook
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Natural gas rose to challenge the 21 percent retracement of the decline from $3.221 at $2.27 before stalling and pulling back for the past couple of days. The move down from $2.270 challenged but settled above the 62 percent retracement of the rise from $2.015 at $2.11 today.
This is a tight call for the near term because daily trend indicators remain bearish, the downtrend is intact, and the wave formation calls for a test of $1.97 and lower. However, daily bullish KaseCD and MACD divergences confirmed at the $2.015 swing low and the fact that $2.11 held on a closing basis warn that a larger test of resistance might still take place in the coming days.
Given the close above $2.11 was nominal, prices held the 38 percent retracement of the decline from $2.270 at $2.17, and natural gas is falling back toward $2.11 late this afternoon the near-term outlook leans bearish. A test of the $2.06 smaller than (0.618) target of the wave down from $2.270 is expected. Closing below this will call for a test of the $2.00 equal to (1.00) target and then the next major objective at $1.97.
That said, should prices rally again and overcome $2.17 look for a test of $2.21 and possibly key near-term resistance at $2.26. The $2.26 level is the smaller than target of the wave up from $2.015. Settling above $2.26 will call for natural gas to rise and test at least this wave’s $2.36 equal to target.
