April WTI crude oil’s move up from $57.9 is most likely corrective of the decline from $66.39 and may be complete. Important resistance was met at $62.65, a bearish intra-day KaseCD divergence was confirmed, and the subsequent move down is poised to extend. Trading over the next few days should indicate whether the upward correction is complete.
Today, the larger than (1.618) target of the wave $57.9 – 60.61 – 58.09 was met at $62.65. The subsequent wave down, $62.65 – 61.43 – 62.43 has fallen below its smaller than (0.618) target and is now poised to reach at least the $61.2 equal to (1.00) target tomorrow. A close below this would open the way for $60.7, $60.3, and $59.7. Key support for the near-term is $59.7, the 62 percent retracement of the move up from $57.9. Settling below this would put odds strongly back in favor of a continued decline.
April WTI Crude Oil – 0.50 Kase Bar
For the move up to continue, support at $59.7 must hold and prices will have to ultimately overcome $63.2, the 62 percent retracement of the decline from $66.39. Tomorrow, look for first resistance at $62.1 and key resistance at $62.6. A close above $62.6 would call for a test of $63.2.
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Outlook for Natural Gas
March natural gas fell below the $2.693 swing low, which nullifies the wave $2.532 – 3.035 – 2.693 and any potential that the move up from $2.532 would extend as a five-wave pattern. Today’s decline also wiped out the yesterday’s bullish hammer and intra-day bullish divergences. Therefore, as of this afternoon, there is no technical evidence that the move down will stall before reaching at least $2.65.
The $2.65 objective is the smaller than (0.618) target of the waves $3.259 – 2.837 – 2.92 and $2.92 – 2.695 – 2.782. Settling below $2.65 will open the way for $2.60 and more likely $2.56, which then connects to $2.50. The connection between these targets is of utmost importance. A move to $2.50 would take out the continuation chart’s $2.522 swing low and confirm a long-term bearish outlook.
March 2108 Natural Gas – Daily
If there is anything positive that can be said, the wave structure down from $3.259 still lacks depth. So far, all of the upward corrections have been less than 21 percent retracements. There is no guarantee that an upward correction will take place, but daily momentum is reaching oversold territory.
For now, look for initial resistance at $2.76 and $2.82. The higher of these should hold as it is the 21 percent retracement of the decline from $3.259 and the 62 percent retracement from $2.92. Key resistance is $2.87, the 50-day moving average. A close above this would indicate the move down has stalled and could be an early indicator of consolidation before the decline ultimately continues.
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Outlook for WTI
WTI crude oil’s decline wiped out yesterday’s bullish morning star setup and fulfilled the $61.5 larger than (1.618) target of the wave $66.66 – 63.67 – 66.3. If the move down from $66.66 proves to be a three-wave correction the $61.25 swing low should hold. However, as of this afternoon, there is no definitive evidence this will be the case (though an upward correction might take place first as discussed below).
Odds favor a continued decline and a close below $61.2 will open the way for $60.8, $60.2, and $59.3. The next major objective is $58.0, the trend terminus and XC (2.764) projection of the aforementioned wave down from $66.66.
March WTI Crude Oil – Daily
That said, there is a reasonable chance the move down from $66.66 will transmute into a five-wave formation that just completed Wave III at $61.25. If this is the case, then an upward correction to form Wave IV should take place first. Today’s $62.9 midpoint is expected to hold, but the key level is today’s $63.9 open. A close over this would be an early indication that the corrective move down may be complete.
Outlook for Brent
Brent crude oil fulfilled the $65.2 larger than (1.618) target of the wave $70.78 – 67.81 – 70.02 when prices fell to $65.16 today. This is a potential stalling point, but there is no definitive technical evidence that indicates the move down will stall.
If the move down from $70.78 is a three-wave correction of the larger scale move up, then $65.16 should hold. However, this is doubtful because Brent has settled below the $65.6 smaller than (0.618) target of the sub-wave $70.02 – 66.53 – 67.72. This means that this wave should extend to at least its $64.2 equal to target. A close below $64.9 would open the way for $64.2, which then connects to $63.0 and $62.0. The $62.0 target is the next major objective because it is the trend terminus and XC (2.764) projection of the wave down from $70.78 and the larger than target of the wave down from $70.02.
With all of that said, there is a chance the wave down from $70.78 is Wave I of a five-wave pattern that completed Wave III at $65.16. In this case, an upward correction to form Wave IV should take place first. Today’s $66.4 midpoint is expected to hold upon such a correction. Key resistance is today’s $67.2 open.
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The conviction of today’s natural gas price decline reflects the market’s disappointment with external factors. The confirmation of yesterday’s shooting star and bearish divergences do not indicate the move up is over, but significantly dampen the odds for March to rise to the levels that February achieved before its expiration.
The near-term outlook has shifted to negative and calls for a test of at least $2.91 tomorrow. This is near the 50 percent retracement of the move up from $2.532, the 62 percent retracement from $2.693, and the $2.905 and $2.907 swing lows. Settling below this will open the way for key support at $2.81, the 62 percent retracement of the rise from $2.532.
March 2018 Natural Gas – Daily
That said, although the decline from $3.259 has been aggressive, there is no well-developed wave structure yet. So far, the move down has retraced just over 38 percent of the move up from $2.532. Therefore, an upward correction of the decline from $2.532 should take place before prices fall below $2.91. Such a correction is expected to hold today’s $3.08 midpoint, which is also the 38 percent retracement of the decline from $3.259. Settling above $3.08 would call for a test of $3.14 and possibly higher before the end of the week.
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WTI Crude Oil Forecast
March WTI crude oil confirmed bearish daily KasePO and KaseCD weak divergences. A weak divergence is one that forms when the confirming bar closes in the opposite direction of the signal, in this case, up. Weak divergences generally do not follow through as well as normal divergences but do warrant caution. In addition, yesterday’s midpoint held, leaving the daily dark cloud cover reversal pattern intact.
Tomorrow odds favor a continued decline to at least $63.2. This is the smaller than (0.618) target of the wave $64.83 – 63.25 – 64.14 and connects to $62.5 as the equal to (1.00) target. Settling below $62.5 would open the way for a larger pullback to $62.0 and even $61.6, the intermediate (1.382) and larger than (1.618) targets for the wave down from $64.83.
WTI Crude Oil Daily Chart
Should prices rise a bit higher first, look for $64.4 resistance to hold. A move above this would call for a new high of $65.1, a highly confluent and key threshold that connects to $66.3 and higher.
Natural Gas Forecast
February natural gas a crucial target at $3.29 when it rose to $3.288 today. This is an extremely important area for natural gas because $3.29 is in line with the equal to (1.00) projection of the wave $2.562 – 3.097 – 2.746, the 62 percent retracement of the decline from $3.772, and the 200-day moving average. A sustained close above $3.29 would confirm the market’s bullish sentiment, opening the way for a larger scale move up to $3.49 and possibly higher over the next few weeks.
That said, given the importance of $3.29 caution is warranted. This is a potential area in which the move up could stall and another sizable correction take place. In addition, the KaseCD, MACD, and Slow Stochastic are set up for bearish daily divergence.
Natural Gas Daily Chart
If prices are going to overcome $3.29 this week $3.18 should hold. Key support for the next few days is $3.13, today’s open and the 62 percent retracement of the move up from $3.039. A close below this would not doom the move up but would open the way for a more substantial correction to challenge support at $3.08 and even $3.01.
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WTI Crude Oil Forecast
January WTI crude oil settled below $56.94, the 62 percent retracement of the decline from $58.14 to $55.0 and the smaller than (0.618) projection of the wave $55.0 – 56.93 – 55.75. However, this afternoon’s late move above $56.94 indicates the move up should challenge the equal to (1.00) projection at $57.7 tomorrow. This is the last major target protecting against a new high. A close above $57.7 would call for $58.4 and possibly $58.9, the intermediate (1.382) and larger than (1.618) projections for the wave up from $55.0.
CLF18 Kase Bar Chart
The move up will probably remain choppy and a good test of support will probably take place once $57.7 is met. For now, initial support is $56.4 and key support is $56.9, the 38 and 62 percent retracements of the move up from $55.0 to $57.22, respectively. Settling below $56.9 would shift near-term odds back in favor of $55.2, the smaller than target of the wave $58.14 – 55.0 – 57.22. This wave then connects to $54.1 as the equal to target.
Brent Crude Oil Forecast
Brent’s move up has been more hesitant than WTI’s this week and is still struggling to overcome the $62.92 swing high. However, today’s settle above the smaller than (0.618) projection of the wave $61.08 – 62.92 – 61.44 indicates Brent should rise to at least $63.3 tomorrow. This is the equal to (1.00) target and the 62 percent retracement of the decline from $64.65 to $61.08. The importance of targets at this level indicate there is a good chance that a pullback will take place once $63.3 is met.
Initial support is $62.0 and key support is $61.4. A close below $61.4 would take out the wave up from $61.08 that projects to target at $63.3 and higher and would shift odds back in favor of a continued decline toward $60.8 and lower.
Natural Gas Forecast
December natural gas hasn’t filled the November 6 gap up from $2.998 yet, but January, February, and March filled their respective gaps today. There is a tremendous amount of support around the bottom of each contract’s gap. Therefore, the move down may stall tomorrow. For December specifically, this area has become $2.99 +/- $0.02.
That said, aside from the confluence of targets around $2.99, the challenge right now is that there are no reversal patterns, only a few intraday divergence setups, that indicate the move down could stall. Therefore, until these signals are confirmed and initial resistance is overcome, near-term odds will favor a continued grind lower.
NGZ17 Kase Bar Chart
Tomorrow, look for a test of $2.99, a close below which would open the way for key lower support at $2.92. This is the next most confluent target below $2.99 and is most importantly the smaller than (0.618) target of the wave $3.353 – 2.847 – 3.231. The equal to target for this wave is $2.73, which means a close below $2.92 would put odds in favor of falling toward $2.73 during the next few weeks.
Should the bottom of December’s gap at $2.998 continue to hold on a closing basis, there is still a chance for a recovery. Initial resistance is $3.06 followed by $3.10. Key resistance is $3.15. This is in line with the $3.153 swing high, the 62 percent retracement of the decline from $3.231, and the 100-day moving average. At this point, December will have to settle above $3.153 to feel confident that this most recent move down is over.
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December natural gas fulfilled the equal to (1.00) target of the wave $3.353 – 3.013 – 3.198 when it fell to $2.847 today. Aside from a few brief declines to targets around $2.75, support around $2.86 has been troublesome on the continuation chart since late June. Technical factors indicate this may prove to be strong support for the December contract too.
It is much too soon to definitively state that the move down is over or even that a major correction is underway. However, the small move up from $2.847 formed a daily morning star and hammer reversal pattern setup that would be completed upon a close over Tuesday’s $2.942 midpoint. This is also near the larger than (1.618) projection of the small intraday wave $2.847 – 2.896 – 2.866. Also, the KasePO and Slow Stochastic are oversold and setup for bullish reversal patterns. Even the RSI is nearly oversold.
Natural Gas Daily Candlesticks
The challenge is that all of these positive factors are just setups at this point. Prices will need to settle above at least $2.95 to show that a meaningful correction is underway. Settling above $2.95 (more specifically, $2.945) would open the way for $2.99, the morning star and hammer’s confirmation point and the 38 percent retracement of the decline from $3.198 to $2.847.
If the move down is going to continue this week, a normal correction should hold $2.99. Otherwise, a close above this would call for a test of key near-term resistance at $3.05. This objective is split between the 62 percent retracement of the decline from $3.198 and the 38 percent retracement of the decline from $3.353. A close above $3.05 would not prove that the move down is over, but would provide a technical spark for a much more serious test of resistance that could ultimately lead to a recovery.
All of that said, the larger scale trend is still negative and longer-term odds ultimately favor a continued decline. Therefore, the anticipated move up to at least $2.95 and possibly higher will most likely be corrective. In addition, should prices fall below the $2.866, the wave up from $2.847 that projects to $2.95 and higher would be taken out. In this case, near-term odds will shift back in favor of $2.82 and ultimately $2.75, the next major objective below $2.86.
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.
December WTI crude oil had a legitimate chance for the corrective move down from $54.46 to extend today after setting up a daily evening star and intraday head and shoulders formation. However, support held, and prices rose at the end of the day, settling above the key $54.2 target and opening the way for $55.0 and higher tomorrow.
The next major confluence point is $56.0, the equal to (1.00) target of the wave $46.59 – 53.11 – 49.44, and the larger than (1.618) target of the wave $49.44 – 52.65 – 50.87. Small pullbacks will likely take place before $56.0 is met. Once this objective is overcome look for $56.4 and likely $57.2, the intermediate (1.382) target of the wave $43.08 – 50.72 – 46.59.
WTI Crude Oil
Resistance at $54.2 has now become support that will likely hold tomorrow. A move below this would call for $53.8 and possibly $53.4, last Friday’s midpoint. Settling below $53.4 is unlikely over the next few days but would indicate a larger correction is underway before the move up continues to $56.0 and possibly higher.
This is a brief analysis for the next day or so. Our weekly Crude Oil Commentary and daily updates are much more detailed and thorough energy price forecasts that cover WTI, Brent, RBOB Gasoline, Diesel, and spreads. If you are interested in learning more, please sign up for a complimentary four-week trial.
November natural gas’ initial rise to $2.977 overcame Monday’s $2.967 midpoint. However, prices could not close above that level and the subsequent decline has already retraced 50 percent of the move up from $2.88. The candlestick’s long upper shadow indicates today’s move up was most likely a failed attempt to overcome resistance. Therefore, odds still favor a decline. A move below $2.90 early tomorrow would open the way for $2.85.
Natural Gas Daily Candlesticks
That said, a bullish daily KaseCD divergence and rising Stochastic %K-line indicate consolidation and possibly another attempt at $2.98 and higher might take place. $3.02 is most important for the near-term because it is split around the 38 percent retracement of the decline from $3.214, the 62 percent retracement from $3.089 and the 50-day moving average.
To confirm the move down is over (for now), prices must overcome the $3.089 swing high, which is also the 62 percent retracement of the decline from $3.214. This would, in turn, take out the wave $3.214 – 2.974 – 3.089 that projects to $2.85 and lower.
With all factors considered, the market still has a neutral-to-negative near-term outlook. Until external factors can support a sustained recovery, the decline will most likely continue to grind its way lower.
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.
November WTI crude oil met the 62 percent retracement of November’s decline from the 2017 $58.37 swing high to $42.8 at $52.42 when it rose to $52.43 early this morning. This is major resistance because it is also a confluent wave projection. Settling above $52.6, the upper end of the confluence range around $52.42, would be bullish for the long-term.
Crude Oil Daily Candlesticks
For now, the long-term outlook remains positive. However, normally, when such an important target is met a significant correction will take place before that objective is overcome on a sustained closing basis. Today’s pullback from $52.42 formed a bearish Harami line and star, which is a reversal pattern. These patterns are not highly reliable, but the overbought daily Stochastic, RSI and nearly overbought KasePO indicate a pullback should take place soon.
This afternoon’s move up after the API Petroleum Inventories report was released indicates $52.6 might be tested early tomorrow. However, we expect this level to hold and for the downward correction to extend to at least $51.4 tomorrow, which is in line with Monday’s $51.45 midpoint. A close below this would open the way for $51.0 and possibly lower.
At this point, even a normal correction of the move up from the $46.14 swing low could drop prices to $50.0 should the corrective pullback extend as expected.
This is a brief analysis for the next day or so. Our weekly Crude Oil Commentary and daily updates are much more detailed and thorough energy price forecasts that cover WTI, Brent, RBOB Gasoline, Diesel, and spreads. If you are interested in learning more, please sign up for a complimentary four-week trial.
