The first day of the September contract as prompt showed some slight strength but time will tell for the contract. Still expecting the lows later in the month so perhaps this is just some consolidation until the next decline occurs.
Major Support:, $1.848, $1.52-$1.511, $1.481, $1.312 Minor Support : $2.00, $1.967- $1.94 Major Resistance: $2.39, $2.44-$$2.502, $2.618, $3.00, $3.16
The trend of expiration’s continue as the August contract was well offered just as it’s predecessors. With the light volume associated for the last week would not expect any great volatility in the next week. Perhaps the demand will bring some support – but it should be short lived.
Major Support:, $1.848, $1.52-$1.511, $1.481, $1.312 Minor Support : $2.00, $1.967- $1.94 Major Resistance: $2.39, $2.44-$$2.502, $2.618, $3.00, $3.16
Failure at the conventional and trend line resistance on Monday and again early Tuesday (20 Week SMA) put August on the same track as its predecessor contract months which (as discussed in the Daily) a low volume decline into expiration. With one day left for prompt August before it goes to settlement, technically it does not matter what happens tomorrow unless there is some kind of high volume price surge (regardless of early Sunday night trade). Given that Friday’s close was the lowest daily close since May 1st and the lowest weekly close since prompt May settled at $1.619 on Friday April 26th, the chances of another “amply offered” expiration seem greater.
The bottom line is that prompt gas held a zone of support defined by the March high ($2.009), the mid – April high ($1.943, the high of week ending 04/12) and $1.913, the low of calendar May, as trading for the last week of August’s tenure ended, tenuously. For the first time since just after the “expiration” gap following May going off the board, prompt gas traded sub – $2…to $1.994, and September ain’t far behind ($.045 premium to August).
As the predecessors before it this year, the August contract was amply offer into the close last week and traded below $2.00 for the first time since last spring. Go into expectations in the Weekly section, so I will not repeat here. Suffice to say that the lower weekly close is a bearish indicator and none of my momentum indicators show the market as oversold (though approaching) so an am;y offered expiration should still be in the cards — though late Sunday trade has the market firming.
Major Support:, $1.848, $1.52-$1.511, $1.481, $1.312 Minor Support : $2.00, $1.967- $1.94 Major Resistance: $2.39, $2.44-$$2.502, $2.618, $3.00, $3.16
Don’t think I am going out on a limb here but I think the August contract is going to follow the previous contracts by being well-offered into expiration. What is getting more interesting is the Winter ’25 summer ’25 spreads during this decline.
Major Support:, $1.848, $1.52-$1.511, $1.481, $1.312 Minor Support : $2.00, $1.967- $1.94 Major Resistance: $2.39, $2.44-$$2.502, $2.618, $3.00, $3.16
Last Week’s lows continue to provide the near term support for the declines to help establish the low end of the range. This range should hold the majority of trade for the upcoming few weeks. Spread traders may want to look at some of the winter 2024/5 trades in the coming weeks as the low end of the range occurs.
Major Support:, $1.848, $1.52-$1.511, $1.481, $1.312 Minor Support : $2.00, $1.967- $1.94 Major Resistance: $2.39, $2.44-$$2.502, $2.618, $3.00, $3.16
Not sure how long this run will last, but it is good to see some rebound (as discussed in the Weekly). It may just be providing trade a new place to short or it may be gradually starting to run in small steps.
Major Support:, $1.848, $1.52-$1.511, $1.481, $1.312 Minor Support : $2.00, $1.967- $1.94 Major Resistance: $2.39, $2.44-$$2.502, $2.618, $3.00, $3.16
Declines slowed and consolidation at the lows of last week provided the market a chance to take a breath from the oversold RSI at the lows. Higher volumes on the declines and gaining open interest during the declines suggest that the market is expecting additional extensions lower.
Major Support:, $1.848, $1.52-$1.511, $1.481, $1.312 Minor Support : $2.00, $1.967- $1.94 Major Resistance: $2.39, $2.44-$$2.502, $2.618, $3.00, $3.16
Some expectations that proved correct was that if August traded through its February low ($2.207) the next support level would be the zone between the March and April highs ($2.009 – $2.092, the January low, $2.037, is also within that zone). It did not take long. Each day’s decline was supported by increasing volume and open interest as August began the test of the same zone that was repeatedly tested during the early spring of ’23 (and had failed to hold during a similar time frame earlier this year). Before a modest recovery, the highest volume since the June high accompanied the lowest trade since May 3rd, and the lowest close since May 2nd.
Clearly, the gas market is in the grips of its traditional Q3 decline (which has carried further faster than suggested here). From the June high prompts July then August have fallen as much as $1.144 from the June 11th Q2 ’24 high (36.2%). Friday’s close was almost exactly 61.8% (Fibonacci) retracement of the rally from the March low to the June high and a prompt contract was back below the 20 – week SMA for the first time since May expiration. From the “expiration” gap that followed May expiration…when the rally really began, to the June high took seven weeks. Over the last six weeks prompt gas has erased all but about a dime of that rally, and the gap is still open between $1.848 – $1.913.