Points

Most points registered double-digit losses ranging from a little more than a dime to about a quarter Monday. The exceptions of declines less than a dime tended to cluster in the Rockies and California, while significantly larger plunges of more than 30 cents and 80 cents were recorded at the Florida citygate and San Juan Basin respectively.

The September aftermarket got launched on a generally softening note Friday. Most points fell between about a nickel and a quarter from end-of-August levels, and also started out anywhere from about 15 cents to more than 50 cents below their first-of-month indexes. (Trading was done for the Sunday-Tuesday period since deals had been cut on Thursday for the last two days of August.)

Most of the market was moderately firmer Thursday, ranging flat to about 15 cents higher. A majority of gains were small at a nickel or less. But the Northeast apparently was anticipating a cool front moving into its northern half Friday, because area citygates dropped by sizeable amounts, topped out by a dollar-plus plunge at Transco Zone 6-New York City, which put on a volatility show during the day between $3.50 and $9.00.

Transco Zone 6-New York City again skyrocketed by more than a dollar and further raised the peak price bar to $10 Tuesday, but the overall cash market rally had run out of gas, so to speak. Only Iroquois Zone 2 and Columbia-Appalachia managed to join NYC in higher numbers; the rest of the market ranged from flat to down about 20 cents. Most declines were around a dime or slightly less.

Duke Energy Chairman Richard B. Priory said it’s about time that corporate America acknowledge the crisis in investor confidence and work to repair trust with the public. He pointed to a recent Gallop poll in which 75% of the respondents said they believe that questionable financial practices occur at many large corporations.

“The breach of trust is deep and wide,” Priory said in a speech to the Economic Club of Detroit. “Business today is suffering from a crisis in confidence. This is no wake up call; it’s a screeching red alert.” Shareholder confidence is at an all-time low, he said.

Nearly all points ranged from flat to down about a nickel or less Monday, but several sources regarded that as a relatively firm performance in light of the market’s generally bearish outlook. The Northeast was a bastion of strength with double-digit citygate increases, led by a gain of more than 45 cents at the Algonquin Citygate.

A moderate advance in weather load got a market response of equally moderate price increases Wednesday. With quite a few points registering close to flat again, a preponderance of the gains were 7 cents or less.

An analysis of the Bush administration’s energy plan points up 17 different provisions that would have benefited Enron Corp., Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) said Wednesday in asking “once again” for “specific information about the White House contacts with Enron and other energy companies.”