Rebounded

The cash market rebounded by generally moderate amounts at most points Monday. The gains were attributed to heating load in northern market areas, the return of industrial demand from its usual weekend slump, and to some degree on working off imbalances accrued over the weekend.

The cash market rebounded by generally moderate amounts at most points Monday. The gains were attributed to heating load in northern market areas, the return of industrial demand from its usual weekend slump, and to some degree on working off imbalances accrued over the weekend.

In a now-familiar pattern, prices rebounded at nearly all points Monday by amounts ranging from about a nickel to half a dollar or so. Although cold weather forecasts weren’t able to keep quotes from falling Friday, enough moderate heating load is lingering early this week that along with the return of industrial demand from its usual weekend slump, sellers found no shortage of ready buyers.

Acquisition activity in the U.S. midstream energy master limited partnership (MLP) sector has rebounded sharply this year, following a slow 2003, and that trend is expected to continue in the near term, according to a report highlighting current trends by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (S&P).

The cash market rebounded strongly Monday from major weekend softness, although most points failed to recover as much price ground as they had surrendered on the preceding Friday. Gains ranged from around 30 cents to a dollar, with many gradations in between.

Despite mild-temperature forecasts, the natural gas futures market rebounded Monday as traders bid prices higher on concerns over increased tropical activity in the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. At $5.70 the September contract gapped higher at the opening bell on its way to an early high at $5.75. The contract eased slightly in the late morning hours and then stabilized in quiet afternoon trading. September closed at $5.693, up 10.5 cents for the session.

After threatening for most of the morning to punch below the $6 mark, August natural gas futures rebounded from near its previous $6.025 low to settle at $6.155, up 3.7 cents on the day.

Despite a higher than expected weekly natural gas storage injection of 15 Bcf, May gas futures rebounded from an initial low of $5.630 and were able to piggyback on the crude oil market and settle at $5.734, only one cent lower on the day.

After dipping into the high $5.20s just before noon EST, the natural gas futures market rebounded Tuesday in concert with a spiking crude oil market. However, natural gas was unable to keep pace with the 3% gain notched by its hydrocarbon brethren and ultimately failed to match its own $5.50 high from Monday.