Bending

After teetering above key long-term support for much of the session Friday, natural gas futures tumbled lower in the final minutes of trading last week as a wave of liquidation pressured prices to levels not seen since early January. The prompt month April contract was the hardest hit by the selling, falling down to a low of $5.05 at 2:30 p.m. EDT. April closed at $5.128, down 17.8 cents for the session.

After bending but not breaking lower at the open, natural gas futures battled back Monday as traders digested updated weather forecasts and storage estimates. The January contract finished at $5.116, down 6.7 cents for the session but up 8.6 cents from its $5.03 low. As expected, estimated volume — at 66,458 — was weak, as many traders elected to remain on the sidelines ahead of the holidays. Nymex energy markets will close at 1 p.m. Tuesday and reopen at 7 p.m. Wednesday with Access trading.

Adding to Thursday’s long liquidation, natural gas futures continued lower Friday morning as traders factored in the price-negative combination of mild weather forecasts and weaker physical market prices. In abbreviated, pre-holiday trading, the February contract finished the week at $2.236, down 1.8 cents for the day but up 3.2 cents for the week.

Bending another tool in its arsenal to shaping up the electricpower market, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) hasapproved an 11.6% rate of return for Southern California Edison,replacing the 9.68% rate set earlier by an administrative law judge(ER97-2335, et al).

Bending another tool in its arsenal to shaping up the electricpower market, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) hasapproved an 11.6% rate of return for Southern California Edison,replacing the 9.68% rate set earlier by an administrative law judge(ER97-2335, et al).