Nov 4 2011 @ 10:56am by Matt Smith in Capital Markets, Crude Oil, Economy, Global Energy, Natural Gas
Yep, goats in a tree. Happy Friday, and welcome to another random assortment of educational and odd. Confusion reigns in relation to the European debt crisis as Greece threw a spanner (=ratchet) in the works after last week’s bailout plan had been agreed upon. This week’s bout of economic data has been decidedly mixed – good enough to inspire hope that slow economic growth will continue, but weak enough to provoke wariness and apprehension. Crude oil continues to gauge itself off general market sentiment – swaying like a reed with the news flow - while natural gas sold off after last weekend’s Northeastern snowstorm, only to see bargain-hunting coming back into the market late in the week. Before the weekend respite, let’s hit up the bites: » read more
Oct 28 2011 @ 10:55am by Matt Smith in Capital Markets, Crude Oil, Economy, Global Energy, Natural Gas
Happy Halloween weekend, as we make it to the end of another week. General markets have surprisingly been shy of both scares and bears, as the cup of positive sentiment overfloweth after European leaders managed to defer their problems carve out a last minute agreement to halve the value of Greek debt and inflate the Euro bailout fund to €1 trillion (whoop! whoop! let’s party!). The crude complex has rallied like a banshee on hope, hope, and hope², while natural gas has seen a stronger December contract roll onto the board and run higher as the first bout of winter (hark, snow for NY) hits the US. Enjoy the weekend, enjoy the frights; but for now..burrito bites: » read more
Oct 7 2011 @ 10:55am by Matt Smith in Capital Markets, Crude Oil, Economy, Global Energy, Natural Gas, UK natural gas
And we’ve had another week of ridiculous rallies and savagery sell-offs, leaving crude markets…ooh, not all that changed, actually. The European debt crisis has been eased by France/Belgium guaranteeing the bad debt of Dexia, while the ECB has promised further bond purchases to calm default fears. A better-than-expected US employment report has been gladly accepted by markets (note: do not confuse ‘better-than-expected’ with ’strong’), while global economic worries continue to bubble away under the surface. Natural gas has spent the week plundering to new low after new low, as warmer outlooks look set to quell some heating demand, while strong supply is omnipresent. But enough from me, hark, bites to see: » read more
Sep 30 2011 @ 10:58am by Matt Smith in Biofuels, Capital Markets, Crude Oil, Economy, Global Energy, Natural Gas
…and welcome to the last trading day in Q3, and the stormy conditions it brings. This week has dealt further downside pressure to natural gas, but no further low for the year as the themes of strong supply and weak demand continue. Crude has done a non-stop-flip-flop, remaining choppy but lacking conviction as Euro debt concerns continue, and as global economic worries ebb-flow-ebb-flow. Next week brings a new month, a new quarter, and a new set of data points to usher markets this way and that. But before then, enjoy the respite…with these bites: » read more
Sep 23 2011 @ 10:55am by Matt Smith in Capital Markets, Crude Oil, Global Energy, Natural Gas, UK natural gas
Happy Friday once again! Markets are staggering towards the end of the week, one which yielded a prompt month low for US natural gas ($3.66), and a sell-off in crude oil of epic proportions. Fear of a global downturn has been contained in recent weeks, but was toppled over like a gunpowder keg and the fuse unintentionally lit by the Federal Reserve, as their steps to calm markets and spur growth fell woefully short of expectations. Next week presents further fun and games with the return of Greek debt problems to the limelight, along with the risk of downbeat news out of the engine-room of the world, China. But for now, let’s chow: » read more
