Category: Natural Gas
The analysis published under this category are as follows.Sunday, February 03, 2008
Aluminum and Natural Gas - the Next Commodities to Boom? / Commodities / Natural Gas
Oil prices are up nearly 50 percent over the past year; crude prices accelerated at the end of 2007 as inventories tightened globally. Meanwhile, wheat prices are up more than 100 percent over the same time period amid strong growth in demand from the developing world, ultra-low stocks in some countries and, of course, a boom in biofuels demand powered by government subsidies.
Although wheat isn't an important feedstock for making ethanol, all agricultural commodities are affected by the biofuels boom. The reason is simply that farmers are diverting acres to corn production in an effort to capture sky-high corn prices.
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Sunday, January 13, 2008
Natural Gas Long-term Outlook / Commodities / Natural Gas
Natural gas prices have been on a roll in the past few weeks, with the 12-month New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) strip rising to about $8.50 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) this morning, up more than $1 dollar off recent lows.
As I discussed in a post on At These Levels yesterday, the NYMEX strip is the most relevant measure of natural gas prices in the US. On NYMEX, gas futures contracts trade with expirations every month. Prices vary wildly from month to month because of seasonality, expectations of future supply shortages or gluts, and the cost of gas storage, among other factors.
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Friday, January 04, 2008
Natural Gas ETF Bull Run to take a Breather / Commodities / Natural Gas
The enclosed 4-hour chart of the U.S. Natural Gas Fund ETF (AMEX: UNG) shows yesterday's high as 38.45, but I show a high at 38.05 on my other systems. In any case, although the UNG was very overbought and in need of a pullback, the fact that today's "rest" is so shallow is a very bullish technical sign. In a perfect technical world, I would look for additional weakness that presses the UNG to 36.50 prior to the start of a new and very powerful upside extension (towards 40-41). In an imperfect world, however, we might now see the UNG beneath 37.20/00 prior to the resumption of strength. For the time being, I will wait on the sidelines for a while longer.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Natural Gas Gaps Higher / Commodities / Natural Gas
Natural gas futures are up about 3.5% this morning, strength that is in sympathy with the rest of the commodity complex, such as gold, oil and the euro, which is attracting money flow on this first trading day of 2008. Purely from a technical perspective, let's notice that the U.S. Natural Gas Fund (AMEX: UNG) has started the session (and the year) with a powerful up-gap open, and has continued still higher -- towards a confrontation with the declining 50 DMA, now at 37.98. At this juncture, my work points higher, to a next target zone of 38.00/40.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, December 07, 2007
Recovery Rally in Natural Gas / Commodities / Natural Gas
My near-term technical work in the US Natural Gas ETF (AMEX: UNG) argues strongly that Monday's low at 34.68 followed by Tuesday's successful retest --followed by today's strength -- are indicative of a meaningful upturn for at least a recovery rally into the 38.00-38.40 zone. Only a hurdle of 39.00/20 will argue that a very significant low has been established in the UNG.Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Natural Gas Sideways Digestion Before Trend Continues Higher / Commodities / Natural Gas
While crude oil prices rally strongly, natural gas gets hammered ahead of, and after the release of the latest inventory figures, which came in pretty much in line with expectations (a build of 74 bcf).Read full article... Read full article...
Thursday, September 20, 2007
New Upleg for Natural Gas? / Commodities / Natural Gas
The U.S. Natural Gas Fund (AMEX:: UNG) corrected right to the top of its initial upmove (37.40) from early September, at which point it pivoted to the upside in what looks like the start of a new upleg. As long as today's low at 37.40 contains any forthcoming downside volatility, my preferred scenario calls for the emergency of a powerful upleg that tests the June-Sept resistance lines, now just shy of 44.Read full article... Read full article...
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Investing in Liquid Natural Gas as the Next Energy Growth Story / Commodities / Natural Gas
Budapest , Hungary - Cruising along the Danube River in central Europe this week, I've passed through several rapidly growing economies in the former Eastern Bloc, including Hungary and Slovakia.
Having visited Eastern Europe on several occasions in the past decade, it's amazing to see just how modern and developed these countries are becoming. Consumers now walk the streets chatting on mobile phones and sporting the latest Italian fashion just as in the big Western European capitals. Meanwhile, prime real estate in the center of a major capital like Budapest or Prague has seen dramatic price inflation in recent years, with property prices now approaching the levels of some US and European cities.
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Monday, September 10, 2007
Significant Near-Term Bottom for Natural Gas / Commodities / Natural Gas
This afternoon's spike to the upside in the U.S. Natural Gas Fund (AMEX: UNG) has imbued the near-term chart structure with the look of a potentially significant near-term bottom (37.00-34.00). A sustained upside hurdle of last Thurday's rally peak at 37.40 should triggered upside follow-through to the 40.00-40.40 area initially, and possibly to 42.00 thereafter as the price structure fulfills its "destiny" off of the three-week base pattern.Read full article... Read full article...
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
China Using More Natural Gas Vehicles / Commodities / Natural Gas
Imagine driving up to your local gas station and filling your car's tank with natural gas instead petrol? More and more, this has become the case in some parts of China.
We were excited that someone else finally brought it up.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Beijing to Increase More Natural and CBM gas for 2008 Olympics / Commodities / Natural Gas
Where do you turn and what do you to when your city is among the filthiest in the world?In Seoul, South Korea, public officials pressured food vendors to stop selling roasted canines during the 1988 Olympiad to avoid giving the city and country a bad name among the tourists.
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Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Carbon Traders Attracted to China’s Vast Methane Reserves / Commodities / Natural Gas
Carbon traders are utilizing the Kyoto Protocol's clause on 'certified emission reduction' credits to capitalize on China's vast coalbed methane reserves. The Asian director of Fortis' carbon trading desk calls China's methane 'easy pickings.' For every tonne of methane captured, about 20 tons of CO2 credits are obtained. CBM projects in China should indirectly benefit from foreign capital racing to exploit these credits before they expire in 2012
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Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Natural Gas Set For Breakout In June / Commodities / Natural Gas
After months of consolidation, Natural Gas now appears ready to climb over a rigid resistance line and advance considerably higher. This move should also start driving gas stocks upward starting in June.Read full article... Read full article...
Friday, September 22, 2006
Hedge Fund loses billions betting on Natural Gas Futures / Companies / Natural Gas
The financial media is buzzing about the reports of "enormous losses" suffered by Amaranth Advisors, a Connecticut hedge fund that reported it had lost in excess of $4 billion in the collapse of natural gas prices during 2006.
Specifically, the fund claims that its losses were due to bets that the spread between the March and April 2007 natural gas contracts would widen. That spread, in fact, did not widen but instead grew tighter as natural gas prices fell. While the fund allegedly lost money on a number of natural gas–related bets, The New York Times is reporting that the spread bet was the most costly.
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