Price Action Showing Base Building

Weekly Continuation

For last week April lost $.291 and the summer strip lost $.247, while volume and open interest both declined. It is constructive technically when price, volume and open interest move in the same direction (see below).

Weekly Continuation with Volume and Open Interest

Total open interest declined another 12,562 contracts through 03/10 (open interest statistics lag one day) to just about exactly the same level as the week ending 02/11 which was the week that March gas traded its low before the big rally into expiration.

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Change of Pace

Daily Continuation

A little stunned looking at the Sunday market and it is down over a nickel. It seem lately, that the market is rocking north before correcting when the traders return to the office on Monday. As discussed in the Weekly section, still thinking that the market needs a more serious test of intermediate support provided by the last 4 week’s lows. Also bring up some historical perspective about trade during calendar March so be advised, I did not write it to solve any boredom during the basketball league championships.

Major Support:$4.40-$4.26, $4.187, $3.972, $3.734, $3.63, $3.584-$3.522
Minor Support: $4.60-$4.557
Major Resistance:
$4.82-$4.88, $5.08

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Declines Ran Out of Steam

Daily Continuation

Additional declines to test the intermediate support between $4.40-$4.36 never occurred which in itself is interesting. Guess folks are going to hold on to the winter trade until the bitter (pun) end. It is either that or some medium term events occurring that I may go into this weekend or next week in the Weekly section. Regardless, expect some additional weakness in the coming 10 days before the expiration process (12 consecutive months of being well-bid) takes over later in the month.

Major Support:$4.38-$4.26, $4.187, $3.972, $3.734, $3.63, $3.584-$3.522
Minor Support: $4.60-$4.557
Major Resistance:
$4.82-$4.88, $5.08

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Declines Slow to Consolidate

Daily Continuation

Price action slowed yesterday and while declines extended, the end of the trade day was met with more of a consolidation theme. Continue to expect a decline to test last week’s low at $4.34 (early morning light trade) but I am more interested in the $4.36-$4.40 area as that zone has held support and finding buyers for the last month.

Major Support:$4.38-$4.26, $4.187, $3.972, $3.734, $3.63, $3.584-$3.522
Minor Support: $4.60-$4.557
Major Resistance: $4.82-$4.88
, $5.08

Orderly Declines Continue

Daily Continuation

If you trade commodities for very long — you learn that declines and break-downs often occur in massive declines as bullish bets escape with what profits they can. So far this week, the declines have taken on the behavior identity of a positive run with consistent (value losses) declines and not the large volatile collapse that often occurs. If this is the behavior that this retracement wants to own then so be it, and play for the chunks of declines rather than the “collapse”.

Major Support:$4.38-$4.26, $4.187, $3.972, $3.734, $3.63, $3.584-$3.522
Minor Support: $4.60-$4.557
Major Resistance:
$4.82-$4.88, $5.08

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Natural Gas Does Trade on Fundamentals

Daily Continuous

Was beginning to wonder if the market was going to resort to fundamental input or just the attachment to the crude market and the war. Yesterday, the market received reduction of demand forecasts from the various weather services which bought about some selling. Go to see that the market does still follow supply and demand even-though I do not trade on the fundamental data points. It is more likely that the technical data points become more relevant if the market is behaving under “normal” decision making. After failing at resistance (granted a higher high to the recent range), expect prices to come under some additional pressure this week as players sift through the data points.

Major Support:$4.38-$4.26, $4.187$3.972, $3.734, $3.63, $3.584-$3.522
Minor Support: $4.60-$4.557
Major Resistance:
$4.82-$4.88,$5.08

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Secular Bull Market Continues

Weekly Continuation

Remembering my high school Latin class (don’t ask me why) this word is used to define a long period of time which is the long period (nearly 2 years) that the gas market has been with a bullish bias. For the second time in two weeks prompt gas (the first being the last week of the March contract followed by the April), tested the intermediate – term defining 40 – week SMA at $4.42. A reversal from the support found on the April chart and the continuation moving average triggered a rally and a test of its February high (5.045 v 5.053, see chart below).

Spot April Contract

Total open interest, which declined by more than 94,000 contracts over seven trading sessions in early February to less than the total at the December 30th low (now considered the Q1 low for 2022), increased, but only modestly over the two weeks that followed. This last week the total number of contracts outstanding fell +/- 11,600 (though waiting for the final numbers from the CME) to 1,099,847, or about 10,000 contracts lower than at the end of December. The market volume was higher with total volume. Interesting to note that the total volume was higher but it was on a 4 day trade week, but average daily volume was just about unchanged with that of the last two weeks.

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Sunday Night Runs Continue

Daily Continuous

The image above does not capture the Sunday night move (whether up or down it is consistently large) but last nights is not mirroring the previous $.20-$.30 gains and only stands at a nickel. Whatever– gains are gains so now the market will have to evaluate weather forecasts in the spring (warming base levels), the impacts of the war and the ending inventories later in the month. Discuss the bull market (long term — Latin included) bias that the market remains in and some expectations in the Weekly section. Hope you read — lets see how this strength at the end of the week, plays into this week.

Major Support:$4.38-$4.26, $4.187$3.972, $3.734, $3.63, $3.584-$3.522
Minor Support: $4.88-$4.82
Major Resistance:$5.088
, $5.572

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Prices Remain In Range

Daily Continuation

The price action tested the highs from last month again but could not hold the gains. Early last night, prices tested the highs yet again– not sure what is holding the magical number but the results have been consistent whether crude and or Ukrainian rallies or declines (crude declined yesterday). Until the market breaks out (or down below the $4.36-$4.40 area), the trade continues to work the range (selling rallies).

Major Support:$4.38, $4.26, $3.972, $3.734, $3.63, $3.584-$3.522
Minor Support:
Major Resistance: $4.735, $4.825 $4.879, $5.088

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Market Loves Light Trade Periods

Daily Continuous

Starting to become a trend is prices like moving in either direction after the market closes on or Sunday night into Monday morning. Now yesterday sees the market jumping in the light trade during the early morning and then holding those gains through the general session. Not sure what to make of it all — guess the folks trading in London and Europe are making there expectation known. Yesterday’s gains look like the market is creating a new mini-range between $4.72 and the expansion early yesterday at $4.34. Use those as the guard rails for action today.

Major Support:$4.38, $4.26, $3.972, $3.734, $3.63, $3.584-$3.522
Minor Support:
Major Resistance:$4.664,
$4.735, $4.825 $4.879, $5.088

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