Natural Gas Technical Analysis and Near-Term Outlook
This is a brief analysis for the next day or so. Our weekly Natural Gas Commentary and daily updates are much more detailed and thorough energy price forecasts that cover key natural gas futures contracts, calendar spreads, the UNG ETF, and several electricity contracts. If you are interested in learning more, please sign up for a complimentary four-week trial.
April natural gas rose today after holding the 38 percent retracement of the rise from $2.501 at $3.98 for four straight days. A triple bottom formed around $3.96 and was confirmed by today’s close above the $4.218 swing high. Prices also settled above the 21 percent retracement of the decline from $4.901 and the 20-day moving average.
The move up might still prove to be a correction of the decline from $4.901 but is poised to extend to at least $4.34 tomorrow. Closing above this will call for $4.42, a test of the $4.50 target of the triple bottom, and possibly another attempt to settle above a key target at $4.56 on both the April and continuation charts.
Prices are pulling back from the $4.259 swing high late this afternoon so a test of the 38 percent retracement of the rise from $3.955 at $4.14 might occur first. Settling below this will warn that the move up is failing and call for a test of the 62 percent retracement at $4.07. Closing below $4.07 will imply that the move up from $3.955 is complete. However, at this point, April natural gas must settle below $3.98 to put the odds firmly back in favor of a deeper test of support.
