Aug 5 2011 @ 10:58am by Matt Smith in Crude Oil, Economy, Global Energy, Natural Gas, risk management
Yola! As you may well know, the first Friday of each month is my favorite day of the month, as the release of official US unemployment data brings unrivalled, voracious volatility to financial markets. But this week has been like a week of Nonfarm Fridays, as markets have twisted and turned, and ultimately, tumbled.
Monday’s debt ceiling resolution has been completely overshadowed by a bludgeoning bout of bad economic data, while today’s marginally upbeat employment data have been seemingly unable to resuscitate risk appetite. Crude has been down double digits in dollars this week, while natural gas has fallen back into three-dollardom. The move on natty is less to do with the economic panic, and more to do with another decent weekly injection into storage, moderating temperatures / tropical activity, while crude’s move is saying the end of the world recovery is nigh. Anyway, after this week’s acerbic swings, it is time to sit back and chill, with these not-so-bitter pills: » read more
Jul 28 2011 @ 10:58am by Matt Smith in Capital Markets, Crude Oil, Economy, Global Energy, Natural Gas
At a time when we approach the unprecedented potential of a default by the US on its national debt, it is worth acknowledging that there may well be trouble ahead (…and imminently). As we face the music and prepare to lace up our dancing shoes, it seems prudent to remember where we were a year ago, and then appraise whether current downbeat perceptions are muddying the water. So from the starting point of Energyland™ to the general economy, let’s take a look at ten reference points, to see if we need to throw in the towel, or just throw some shapes: » read more
Tags: Brent crude oil, coal, Crude Oil, equities, gasoline demand, gasoline prices, Global Energy, global oil demand, house prices, industrial demand, inflation, manufacturing, NBP, PMIs, S&P/CaseShiller, unemployment rate, US natural gas, WTI crude oil
Jul 8 2011 @ 10:58am by Matt Smith in Capital Markets, Crude Oil, Global Energy, Natural Gas
Happy Friday! And as we plough through this first full week of the month, we have had a bumper crop of data releases to feed the market, all harvested in a short trading week too. Economic data has been decidedly mixed, with Nonfarm Friday leaving financial markets shaken not stirred today. This has erased a good chunk of this week’s rally in the crude market, while natural gas tethers itself around the 200-day moving average, as a whopper of a weekly storage injection stymies prices once more. Hark, another Friday feast: » read more
Jul 7 2011 @ 10:55am by Matt Smith in Crude Oil, Global Energy, Natural Gas, risk management
Commodityworld™ is very much like The Rolling Stones, full of energy and gathering no moss. Seeing a recent picture of the Stones got me wondering about which commodity best represented each of them (welcome to my world…). Keith was easy to choose, but as for Mick I couldn’t get no satisfaction, well, you’ll see…here’s the wrinkled rockers with their commodity equivalents. » read more
Jul 1 2011 @ 10:55am by Matt Smith in Crude Oil, Economy, Global Energy, Natural Gas
Friday, a long weekend ahead, and Q3 kicked off - reasons to be cheerful, 1-2-3. And this week has brought the familiar twists and turns. Well actually, crude had been on the straight and narrow (higher) for most of this week, egged on by the exuberance of the response to the approval of a Greek austerity package, which has essentially ensured the survival of the Eurozone in its current form…for now. As for the good ship nat gas, it has shown moderate progress after bouncing from strong support around $4.20ish, as summer weather supports higher cooling demand, while the first-named storm of this Atlantic hurricane season reminds us we never know what is around the corner – so keep your eyes on the prize (exhibit 1, left). A long weekend awaits, so be sure to load up on sustenance: » read more
