The cash market on Wednesday was jerked around like a bull whip by its out-of-control master, the gas futures market on the New York Mercantile Exchange. As futures popped nearly 40-cents higher at the open and soared to the incredible height of $7.55 Wednesday morning before collapsing shortly thereafter, the cash market was dragged behind, albeit at a significant distance. The run-up produced massive trading ranges as sellers scrambled to unload what they could before the show was over.
Whiplash
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Futures Spike, Then Plummet on Big Storage Refill
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.
July 6, 2001
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