Get 40% Off
👀 👁 🧿 All eyes on Biogen, up +4,56% after posting earnings. Our AI picked it in March 2024.
Which stocks will surge next?
Unlock AI-picked Stocks

Oil Price Rise Predicated On Potential OPEC/Russia Output Cuts

Published 03/07/2016, 07:03 AM
Updated 07/09/2023, 06:31 AM

Oil prices in the first quarter of this year have turned higher, much like the pattern at the beginning of 2015. Since mid February the price of Brent crude has increased nearly 40%, climbing from the high $20/bbl level to the high $30/bbl level.
Oil Price Performance Comparison Chart

Friday's Commitment of Traders Report (COTR) released by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) noted money managers increased bullish bets on oil to the highest level since November. This increased bet on higher oil prices has occurred in spite of a higher than expected increase in oil inventory. The EIA Petroleum Status Report saw crude inventories rise 10.4 million barrels to a record 518 million barrels of oil inventory. The EIA report noted gasoline inventory declined 1.5 million barrels as demand for gasoline increased a strong 6.9% on a year over year basis. The oil inventory in the below chart includes not only crude oil, but gasoline, distillate fuel oil and all other oil-related inventory.
Oil Inventory and Price of Crude

As Reuters reported after the market close on Friday,

"U.S. oil prices rose to the highest since late January and Brent jumped to their highest since early January on Tuesday amid hopes that top global producers will agree a coordinated output freeze. That helped to offset growing concerns about the record U.S. inventory."
"U.S. crude futures ended the week 10 percent higher after settling 4 percent higher at $35.92 a barrel on Friday as strong U.S. jobs data spurred hopes of better demand growth and on technical buying after crude prices breached resistance levels on charts."
3rd party Ad. Not an offer or recommendation by Investing.com. See disclosure here or remove ads .
"The price action was impressive this week. Especially getting through $35 a barrel,"

said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital, a New York energy hedge fund.

It appears speculators are counting on production cuts by OPEC and Russia. If these cuts do not materialize, the oil price pattern detailed in the first chart above could result in oil prices falling back below the $30/bbl level, as too much supply seems to be the main driver of the recent volatility in oil prices.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.