WTI crude futures settle at $75.12
WTI crude oil
Crude Oil
Crude oil is the most popular tradable instrument in the energy sector, offering exposure to global market conditions, geopolitical risk, and economics. The instrument is strategically relied upon and situated in the global economy. Crude oil has proven to be a unique option for traders given volatility and the efficacy of both swing trading and longer-term strategies. Despite its popularity, crude oil is a very complex investing instrument, given the litany of fluctuations in oil prices, risk, and impact of politics stemming from OPEC. Short for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC operates as an intergovernmental organization of 13 countries, helping set and dictate the global oil market.How to Trade Crude Oil Crude oil is most commonly traded as an exchange-traded fund (ETF) or through other instruments with exposure to it. This includes energy stocks, the USD/CAD, and other investing options. Crude oil itself is traded across a duality of markets, including the West Texas Intermediate Crude (WTI) and Brent crude. Brent is the more relied upon index in recent years, while WTI is more heavily traded across futures trading at the time of writing. Other than geopolitical events or decisions by OPEC, crude oil can move due to a variety of different ways. The most basic is through simple supply and demand, which is affected by global output. Increased industrial output, economic prosperity, and other factors all play a role in crude prices. By extension, recessions, lockdowns, or other stifling factors can also influence crude prices. For example, an oversupply or mitigated demand due to the aforementioned factors would result in lower crude prices. This is due to traders selling crude oil futures or other instruments. Should demand rise or production plateau, traders will bid increasingly on crude, whereby driving prices up.
Crude oil is the most popular tradable instrument in the energy sector, offering exposure to global market conditions, geopolitical risk, and economics. The instrument is strategically relied upon and situated in the global economy. Crude oil has proven to be a unique option for traders given volatility and the efficacy of both swing trading and longer-term strategies. Despite its popularity, crude oil is a very complex investing instrument, given the litany of fluctuations in oil prices, risk, and impact of politics stemming from OPEC. Short for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC operates as an intergovernmental organization of 13 countries, helping set and dictate the global oil market.How to Trade Crude Oil Crude oil is most commonly traded as an exchange-traded fund (ETF) or through other instruments with exposure to it. This includes energy stocks, the USD/CAD, and other investing options. Crude oil itself is traded across a duality of markets, including the West Texas Intermediate Crude (WTI) and Brent crude. Brent is the more relied upon index in recent years, while WTI is more heavily traded across futures trading at the time of writing. Other than geopolitical events or decisions by OPEC, crude oil can move due to a variety of different ways. The most basic is through simple supply and demand, which is affected by global output. Increased industrial output, economic prosperity, and other factors all play a role in crude prices. By extension, recessions, lockdowns, or other stifling factors can also influence crude prices. For example, an oversupply or mitigated demand due to the aforementioned factors would result in lower crude prices. This is due to traders selling crude oil futures or other instruments. Should demand rise or production plateau, traders will bid increasingly on crude, whereby driving prices up.
Read this Term futures
Futures
Futures or a futures contract represents a legal agreement to buy or sell a security or asset at a predetermined price at a specified time in the future. Of note, the parties are not known to each other.These transactions usually involve commodities or other securities involving the buying and selling for a forward or predetermined price.Futures also adhere to a delivery date, which specifies the date of delivery and payment. Relative to other forms of investing futures are much more complex, as they involve specified and non-flexible parameters.Futures Trading ExplainedFutures contracts are negotiated at exchanges that act as a unified marketplace for both buyers and sellers. Buyers of contracts represent long position holders, while selling parties constitute short position holders.Both parties risk their counterparty walking away if the price goes against them. As such, the contract can involve both parties incurring a margin of the value of the contract with a mutually trusted third party.This margin can range substantially, depending on the current volatility of the market of the security being traded.Futures can be incredibly risky and are the textbook definition of market speculation. A trader who predicts that the price of an asset will move in a certain direction can contract to buy or sell it in the future at a price.If this prediction is correct, the trader will profit. If the prediction is incorrect there will be losses. Futures trading is considered an advanced type of trading that requires prior knowledge and understanding.For this reason, retail traders will seldom be afforded access to futures trading by brokers without first undergoing specific questions or account requirements.
Futures or a futures contract represents a legal agreement to buy or sell a security or asset at a predetermined price at a specified time in the future. Of note, the parties are not known to each other.These transactions usually involve commodities or other securities involving the buying and selling for a forward or predetermined price.Futures also adhere to a delivery date, which specifies the date of delivery and payment. Relative to other forms of investing futures are much more complex, as they involve specified and non-flexible parameters.Futures Trading ExplainedFutures contracts are negotiated at exchanges that act as a unified marketplace for both buyers and sellers. Buyers of contracts represent long position holders, while selling parties constitute short position holders.Both parties risk their counterparty walking away if the price goes against them. As such, the contract can involve both parties incurring a margin of the value of the contract with a mutually trusted third party.This margin can range substantially, depending on the current volatility of the market of the security being traded.Futures can be incredibly risky and are the textbook definition of market speculation. A trader who predicts that the price of an asset will move in a certain direction can contract to buy or sell it in the future at a price.If this prediction is correct, the trader will profit. If the prediction is incorrect there will be losses. Futures trading is considered an advanced type of trading that requires prior knowledge and understanding.For this reason, retail traders will seldom be afforded access to futures trading by brokers without first undergoing specific questions or account requirements.
Read this Term are settling at $75.12. That’s up $0.49 or 0.66% on the day.
The high for the day reached $75.88. The low extended down to $73.89.
Looking at the 4 hour chart, the highs over the last two bars stalled near the 38.2% retracement of the move down from the January 3 high near $76.86. Stay below that level keeps the sellers more in play. Move above and trade will be eyeing the:
- Near converged 100 and 200 bar moving averages near $76.84,
- The 50% midpoint of the range for 2023 at $76.93, and
- A swing area between $76.76 and $76.93.
A move above that cluster of levels would open the door for further upside momentum.
For now however, stay below 38.2% retracement keeps the sellers in play despite the modest rise in prices today.