The July Fourth holiday only delayed by a day the inevitable whiplash that gas futures typically cause on Wednesdays. Thursday opened with bang as August futures gapped about 8 cents higher at the opening bell, but the contract proceeded to do a nosedive in anticipation of another large storage refill. When the American Gas Association reported the ninth 100+ Bcf storage injection in 10 weeks (105 Bcf), futures plummeted to a new low of $3.040. However, the contract encountered surprising support there and managed to rebound to $3.136, down only 6.5 cents for the day.
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California Prices Soar, But Most of Market Softer
A California spike that sent border quotes skyrocketing as highas $33 and was accompanied by moderate firmness in the Southwestbasins stood in sharp contrast to a softer overall market Thursday.Outside the California/Southwest region, prices tended to rangefrom barely lower in the Rockies and at a few scattered Gulf Coastpoints to down 15-20 cents at Northeast citygates.
Cash Rallies on Screen Spike, More Bullish Weather Outlook
The price picture looked pretty bleak for bullish types earlierthis week, but they were taking heart Wednesday from a cashrebound, further strength in futures and signs that winter weatherlikely will return for a new siege, just as the groundhog predictedlast Friday. Most eastern gains tended to be in the teens, but mostwestern points rose by 20 cents or more, with the PG&E citygate(up almost $1.50) as the leader of the pack.
Technical Blip, Weather Forecast Trigger Spike
The third time was a charm yesterday for bulls in the gas pit atNymex as locals and technical traders covered shorts en masse afterdiscovering a technical blip on their charts. After thrice testingand failing to develop beneath the $5.74 level Wednesday eveningand yesterday morning, the market rocketed Thursday afternoon, ledby a March contract that rumbled 67.3 cents higher to close at$6.38.
California Border Spikes Amid Mildly Firmer Prices
A Southern California border spike of about 80 cents Friday,with a few quotes peaking in the lower $6.70s, was by far the mostattention-grabbing feature of a weekend market that was mostly flatto moderately higher but included a bit of backsliding at San JuanBasin/Rockies points.
Following 24-cent Spike, Bulls Settle for Modest Gain
Still a little hung over from Wednesday’s 24-cent bull-party,natural gas traders elected to cool their heels yesterday, leavingthe market to quietly check to either side of unchanged. The Junecontract finished at $3.71, up 2.1 cents on the day.
Futures Spike 6.5% on Bullish Storage Data
Since coined by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan back in1995 to explain investors love of stocks, “irrational exuberance,”has come to typify the stock market and its unprecedented bullrally. But yesterday as stock prices plummeted again, “irrationalexuberance” was a more apt description of the natural gas futuresmarket, which spiked sharply amid a frenzy of short-covering andnew long accumulation. When all the dust had settled and the orderstabulated in the data room at Nymex, the numbers were staggering— the June contract rose a whopping 24.1 cents to finish at$2.689, setting a new 30-month high at $3.73 during a session thatsaw 102,978 contracts change hands.
Sinking Stocks Show Need for Diversification
With gas and electric utility stocks continuing to probe thedepths after a brief spike in a January fuel-cell frenzy, someobservers and executives are keeping their eyes peeled for the nextseries of corporate takeovers in the industry.
Sinking Stocks Show Need for Diversification
With gas and electric utility stocks continuing to probe thedepths after a brief spike in a January fuel-cell frenzy, someobservers and executives are keeping their eyes peeled for the nextseries of corporate takeovers in the industry.
Technical Jockeying Keeps Bulls Corralled
Following a three-day, 25-cent price spike, the natural gasmarket cooled its heels Thursday as traders took profits amidtechnically overbought conditions and ahead of the weekend. After alate morning push failed to surpass Wednesday’s $2.78 high, sellerscame out of the woodwork to deliver the March contract a dime lowerto $2.659.