Gapped

Natural gas futures gapped lower at the open and never looked back Monday as traders digested the latest private and governmental weather forecasts that suggest that the Eastern U.S. will be spared of any extended period of hot weather through at least the next couple of weeks. The July contract took the selling pressure squarely on the chin, dropping 29.6 cents to a new 11-month low at $3.446.

For the second session in a row, natural gas prices gapped lower at the opening bell Tuesday, as mounting apprehension over today’s storage report convinced traders to lighten their long exposures a little more. But in stark contrast to Monday when prices continued lower throughout the session, gas prices rebounded slightly in the afternoon, filling in the earlier chart gap. The June contract closed at $4.641, down 5.4 cents for the day.

Pressured by weakness in early morning over-the-counter trading,natural gas futures gapped lower on the open for the second sessionin a row Monday as traders were once again presented with a priceoutlook devoid of bullish fundamental news. However, unlike theprice action last Friday in which prices sifted lower throughoutthe day, yesterday’s market was constructive as prices workedhigher after finding support at the key $5.00 level. The Aprilcontract finished strongly, up 8.7 cents to close at $5.159.

Adding to losses notched in Monday’s open-outcry session,natural gas futures gapped lower at the open yesterday and neverlooked back, as traders liquidated positions ahead of today’sstorage report. The February contract took the selling squarely onthe chin, tumbling 51.1 cents to close at $6.946. Estimated volumewas weak as only 42,671 contracts changed hands.

Following on the heels of Thursday’s losses, natural gas futuresgapped lower on the open Friday as traders took profits on theirlong positions in sympathy with similar selling in the crude oilpit. October crude finished down 5% on the day at $33.63 per bblwhile October natural gas slipped 2.4% to close at $4.880. OPEC wasscheduled to meet over the weekend in Vienna to discuss possibleproduction increases (check back with http://intelligencepress.comfor breaking news later Monday morning).

Natural gas futures gapped lower on the open for the second dayin a row Tuesday, but unlike Monday’s session that saw pricescontinue lower, prices rebounded throughout the day yesterday tofinish in positive territory. After putting in a $3.92 low justminutes after the opening bell, the August contract was boosted bya round of short-covering which deposited the prompt month 4.2cents higher to close at $4.044.

Futures succumbed to another major technical correctionyesterday as the July contract gapped 2.5 cents lower at the openand dropped a dime early on before plummeting after the AGA gasstorage report came out at 2 p.m. At the end of the regular tradingsession, July was down 34.9 cents, August had dropped 35.1 centsand September was off 33.1 cents. The July contract had a 39-centrange for the day, trading as high as $4.335 and as low as $3.930.

Still reeling from a “devastating” weather picture the naturalgas futures market gapped lower on the open yesterday and continuedlower as traders added to short positions. By slipping 7.3 cents to$2.451 the December contract came perilously close to breakingthrough the lowest level of any spot contract since summer lowswere put in. The January contract, meanwhile, fared even worse,dropping 8.5 cents to finish at $2.596.

For the third morning in a row natural gas futures gapped higherat the open before continuing upward as traders covered shortpositions in anticipation of Tropical Storm Bret becoming the firsthurricane in the 1999 Atlantic season. But after notching a $3.015high shortly after noon, the September contract was hit with a waveof profit-taking that delivered the spot month back down to settleat $2.938. Estimated volume was healthy, with 99,927 contractschanging hands.