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WTI1! trade ideas

MCL: Where is oil price heading amid geopolitical tensions?NYMEX: Micro Crude Oil ( NYMEX:MCL1! ) The price of a commodity is determined by its supply and demand. But in the case of crude oil, which is the lifeblood of the global economy, geopolitical risk carries a bigger impact. Examples in present time: In February 2022, the Russia-Ukraine conflict sent crude oil up 72% to $124 a barrel. In October 2023, the Israel-Hamas conflict saw WTI price 40% higher to $94. The rapid price rise following conflict eruption is called an “Event Shock”. Investors price crude oil in the worst-case scenario. Would it be the start of WW3, for the former event, and would the Gulf region oil production get cut off, for the latter event? Typically, the fear for the worst is overblown. As the conflict progresses, oil prices tend to fall back down if that did not materialize. After the Western nations imposed embargo on Russian oil in 2022, Russia found new customers in India and China. We know that crude oil is a fungible commodity. The more the two countries buy from Russia, the less they will buy from the rest of the world. This helps keep the global oil supply in balance. Without a shortage, oil prices fell. The Israel-Hamas conflict started in October 2023 so far has not dragged major oil producing nations into war. Even the Houthis Militia has been attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea, they would not strike oil tankers from the Arab nations. Therefore, neither oil production nor its transportation was interrupted, and oil prices fell as a result. The previous Sunday, three US soldiers were killed, and more than 40 personnel injured in a drone attack at a US base in Jordan. The US vowed to retaliate. Last Friday, it has launched strikes on 85 targets in Syria and Iraq, in response to the drone attack. On Saturday, the US conducted air strikes to 30 targets in Yemen, the homebase of Houthis. With the US now engaging in military actions to militia backed by Iran, the Mideast conflict could be escalated to a whole new level. In addition to geopolitical risk, there are other tailwinds to support stronger oil prices: The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut oil production last month as the group and its allies began a new effort to prevent a global surplus and shore up prices. Output from the OPEC fell by 490,000 barrels a day (bpd) last month to 26.7 million bpd, according to a Bloomberg survey. About half the reduction came from Iraq and Kuwait. Led by Saudi Arabia, OPEC and its allies pledged to make additional production curbs this quarter, on top of reductions made last year. In the meantime, oil traders will see headwind ahead: Data on Friday showed that U.S. employers added far more jobs in January than expected, reducing the chances of near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts. High interest rates tend to dampen economic growth and reduce oil demand as well. Oil prices fell by about 2% on Friday and posted weekly losses after U.S. jobs data release. WTI crude futures settled at $72.28 a barrel, falling $1.54, or 2%. The global crude oil benchmark lost roughly 7% on the week. Trading with NYMEX Micro WTI Crude Oil Futures At about $72 a barrel, crude oil price is now below the price level before the Israel-Hamas conflict. It is also lower than oil prices before the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Is there a good reason why the price of the most strategically important commodity goes lower amid intensifying geopolitical tensions? You may point out that oil demand may be dampened by the weak Chinese growth, but I would argue that the robust US economy would offset that. Institution traders share my view. Money managers raised their combined futures and options oil position in NYMEX WTI and ICE Brent by 18,082 contracts to 117,226 in the week of January 30th, according to the Commitment of Trader (COT) report published by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). To express a view of rising crude oil price, we could consider a long position in NYMEX Micro WTI Crude Oil Futures ( CSE:MCL ). The March contract (MCLH4) was settled at $72.42 last Friday. It declined further to $71.75 at the time of this writing. Each contract has a notional value of 100 barrels, or $7,175 at the current market price. CME Group requires an initial margin of $660 per contract. Hypothetically, if the US strikes induce Iran retaliation and escalate the Mideast conflict, WTI futures could possibly go up above $90 a barrel. In this case, the $18 price increase (=90-72) would translate into $1,800 for a long futures position in NYMEX Micro WTI Crude Oil Futures (=18x100). In my view, while the Fed may not cut interest rates immediately, it is still expected to lower rates at least 1 or 2 times, maybe at later meetings in 2024. Lower interest rates are also positive for oil prices. However, if crude oil price continues to go down instead, each dollar of decline would result in a loss of $100 per contract. Here are some extended readings on my previous trade ideas on crude oil: October 9, 2023: Would the Middle East conflict push gold and oil prices higher? October 16, 2023: MCO: Options Strategy to Capture Crude Oil Volatility Happy Trading. Disclaimers *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com
NYMEX:MCL1!Long
by JimHuangChicago
Looking for a long trade in oil2.5.24 This video shows how to frame a long trade on oil. This is a setup for a long trade but there are no buyers just yet. In the meantime you get to see some of the tools that I'm using if you're new to my videos. My bias is at the market will move higher but if there's enough movement lower and it looks like the support area is going to be broken then there may actually end up being a good short trade. I don't think this will happen but I have to wait for some more bars... probably on the 4-Hour chart, but we may need to wait for the next training day.
NYMEX:CL1!
by ScottBogatin
a weekly price action market recap and outlook - wti crude oilGood evening and i hope you are well. Here my commentary from last week: The bulls got their big breakout and we made 4.65 points last week. The next obvious target is 80 where i expect sideways movement. I also don’t think we can get there without a pullback first. Target for that pb is around 76.5 - 77. We can also just trade sideways in a tighter range but i think a retest of the 2023-12 high is an obvious magnet. Bull case: Last weeks bull case was good for Globex open on Monday and that marked the high of the week and we sold off 7.5 points. Bulls have nothing until market finds clear support and that will probably take some days. Arguments for bulls are 2 trend lines, one we already touched Friday and bounced a bit but weak arguments at best. At 70 should be big resistance but this sell off is very strong. Bulls need to keep this above 70.60 for this to be a higher low. Bear case: Big bear surprise for me this week. But since we are at support lines and bears did not print a lower low, i lean neutral. Bears need a break below and if they can get it, chances of a measured move down rise. Target could be 65 but let’s take this one by one. First target is 70. outlook last week: “sideways to down for a pullback but market is clearly always in long for now. so pullbacks will fail and we trade higher to at least 79.5 or 80.” → Well, pretty decent for about 2 seconds after Globex open on Monday. Big bear surprise for me. Bad outlook. short term: Sideways to down - Market needs to find support and i doubt it’s the bull channel. Big support is probably around 70. medium-long term: Sideways until clear break of range between 70-80
NYMEX:MCL1!
by priceactiontds
Is Oil a Bargain or Premium Buy Right Now?Hey there, let's talk about oil and why it might be a smart move for investors like you. Right now, oil prices are in a pretty interesting spot. They're hanging out somewhere between what you'd call wholesale and retail prices. Oil on the Market: Think about when you buy stuff—sometimes you get it at a discount (wholesale), and sometimes you pay full price (retail). Oil prices are kind of doing the same thing. They're in a range of $76.40 to $69.10, which is more like wholesale rates, while the usual retail price is around $100. Why It's a Good Opportunity: This setup makes oil an attractive option, especially if you're into swing trading, where you buy low and sell high within a short timeframe. The idea is that since oil is in this middle ground, there's potential to make some gains as it moves between these price points. What to Do: If you're thinking about jumping in, consider starting your investment within this price range. But remember, oil markets can be pretty unpredictable, so it's important to have a plan in place and be ready for ups and downs. The Big Question: Now, here's where you come in. Do you see oil as a bargain, like wholesale goods, or is it more like buying something at full price? How would you approach investing in oil given the current scenario? Share your thoughts and any charts you've got—it'll help us all understand the oil market better and maybe even make some savvy investment moves together. Drop your comments below and let's talk shop!
NYMEX:CL1!Long
by ImmaculateTony
higher prices on Crude oil (update) If prices continue to struggle going bullish after inventory or week come in red. I expect prices to drop into mitigation and if that happens you will see an explosive move on oil. Otherwise, they should take buy side liquidity @70.77 and come back into internal range (mitigation/volume imbalance) Mind you, if the fed also cuts rates today that will weaken the USD and strengthen foreign currencies creating more demand for oil and short inventory reports will surge prices higher.
NYMEX:MCL1!
by jewlstagara
1
CL1!1.30.24 In this video I try to outline what it means for the market to expand thereby be coming more tradable. Yesterday oil had a two bar reversal to go lower... but it closed at the support area of a range box... and today it's an opening price trade to short... so it really has to start to move lower or this market should be exited with a small stop. But I prefaced the video by telling you that the market traded up to important sellers which is usually signified with a pink line from above... and so I would be waiting for this market to correct lower because at the current level the market is more controlled by sellers until it actually trades above the pink line on top. This is not the best example of a short trade but if I had taken the trade yesterday and stayed short, I still hold this trade with a small stop from yesterday. In effect, It's understandable that the market is probably going to trade lower.... but it is trading lower to the buyers because it's right at the top of a range box that is below the range box from above. I will make this more clear on a subsequent video... as I don't want to redo this video.
NYMEX:CL1!
by ScottBogatin
1
Crude Oil is Primed for Gamma ScalpingCrude Oil price have remained sharply range bound for the last two months. CME Group’s West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures have traded between USD 70-80 a barrel since early November last year. Sharply shifting supply and demand outlook explains range bound trading in crude oil. In this paper, we discuss diverging factors affecting crude oil price and illustrate gamma scalping strategy to harness returns from range bound price moves. Gamma scalping is a well-established dynamic options strategy that enables investment returns from sharply oscillating price moves. CRUDE OIL’S DIVERGING PRICE OUTLOOK Tailwinds powering the oil prices increase is fuelled by (a) OPEC+ members decisions on deep supply cuts, and (b) geopolitical risks in the middle east remains elevated. On the day of the conflict escalation, crude prices spiked 2.6% higher. Some of these attacks have affected crude oil tankers in the region risking supply disruptions. Headwinds pressing oil prices down include record US crude oil production. The US churned 13.25 million bpd (barrels per day) of oil in Q3. That is more than 3 million bpd higher than Russia (second largest producer). EIA expects strong US production to continue through 2024 with growth driven by rising well efficiencies in US oil rigs. Globally, crude production growth is expected to slow but still rise by 0.6 million bpd in 2024 with higher US production offsetting the decline from OPEC nations. Expectedly, this has led to a widening premium for Brent crude compared to WTI. Demand outlook for crude oil remains uncertain. Slowdown in demand growth remains a concern. EIA forecasts global oil consumption to rise by 1.4 million bpd in 2024. This represents a slowdown in growth compared to prior years (1.9 million bpd in 2023). Slower economic growth translates into lower crude oil consumption. As such, supply-demand dynamic may remain unchanged despite slowing production growth. NAVIGATING DIVERGING OIL OUTLOOK With both bullish and bearish drivers for crude oil in active play, a directional position in crude oil might not be able to provide intended hedge for adverse price move. In a market with plenty of uncertainty and characterised by oscillating prices, gamma scalping can be used to harness consistent gains. INTRODUCTION TO GAMMA SCALPING IN CRUDE OIL Gamma scalping is an options trading strategy in which a trader continually adjusts their holdings to profit from small price movements in the underlying, while maintaining a directionally neutral position. Gamma scalping involves dynamic hedging by continually neutralising options delta. Delta is the value by which options prices change for every dollar change in crude oil price. Gamma is the value by which delta changes for every dollar change in crude oil price. Gamma scalping profits from small & frequent volatility in crude oil prices regardless price direction. With gamma scalping, traders can gain from both upward and downward price moves. ILLUSTRATING GAMMA SCALPING IN CRUDE OIL Gamma can be scalped in multiple ways. Common among them involves establishing a long straddle which is a combination of long call and a long put using at-the-money (“ATM”) options expiring on the same date. Hypothetically, we can follow three simple steps to set up gamma scalping: Step 1: Buy (“Long”) ATM Call Option and Put Option (aka Long Straddle) At the hypothetical strike price of USD 70/barrel, premiums required for buying Straddle (calls and puts at-the-money option expiring on 14/Jun 2024) is USD 12/barrel (USD 6 each for call and put) which translates to USD 12,000 per lot. At inception, the delta should be at or near zero. In practice, delta for ATM calls and ATM puts can differ and the position may have a net non-zero delta. Investors can reference the pricing sheet on CME QuikStrike for realistic options premiums, delta values, and strikes. The gamma of the long ~0.025 x 2 = 0.05. Gamma is the value by which delta will change for each change in crude oil price. Long straddle at inception is delta neutral. Meaning, it does not have directional exposure. However, it has long exposure of 0.05 gamma which signals that delta will change when crude oil prices move. Step 2: Dynamic Hedging When Crude Prices Move Higher Consider an up-move of ten points with crude trading up at USD 80/barrel. This results in a new delta of +0.5 (due to Gamma of 0.05 and 10 point move in crude prices: 10 * 0.05 = 0.5 per barrel). This translated to delta of 500 per lot of long straddle. To remain delta neutral, trader needs to sell 5 contracts of CME Micro WTI to balance the increased delta. As a result, the overall position now consists of: • Long 1 x ATM call option with a strike price of USD 70, with expiry 14/June (LON24). • Long 1 x ATM put option with a strike price of USD 70, with expiry 14/June (LON24). • Short 5 x Micro WTI futures contract (MCLN2024) which provides exposure to 500 barrels of oil at USD 80/barrel. Step 3: Harvesting Gains via Dynamic Hedging when Crude Prices Fall Imagine crude oil prices fall to USD 70/barrel, new delta is -0.5 per barrel and -500 per lot of long straddle. To remain delta neutral, the trader needs to buy five lots of CME Micro WTI futures to neutralize delta once more. This results in a profit of USD 5,000 (sell at 80 and buy back at 70 per barrel; each lot of CME Micro WTI futures represents 100 barrels). Overall position now consists of: • Long 1 x ATM call option with a strike price of USD 70, with expiry 14/June (LON24). • Long 1 x ATM put option with a strike price of USD 70, with expiry 14/June (LON24). This trade can be executed multiple times repeating the same steps as above. If crude oil trades down to being with, neutralising delta would involve buying lower and then selling higher when prices recover. SALIENT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN GAMMA SCALPING Upfront Premiums: Long straddle requires an up-front cost. Gamma scalping will need to be executed multiple times to break even and recover the premiums. Up-front premium implies fixed downside with a well-defined maximum loss. Dynamic Hedging: Gamma scalping requires continuous monitoring and adjusting of positions. Time Decay: Options should be selected with sufficiently large days-to-expiry to minimize effect of time decay. Time decay of the option rise sharply closer to expiration massively shrinking the value of the long straddle. Long Volatility: High gamma benefits from high volatility. The strategy should be utilized when volatility is expected to rise or remain high. At Expiry: The options legs may expire at a net loss and require scalping to break-even. Example payoff analysis for different settlement prices for crude oil at expiry: 1. Settles at USD 60/barrel: The put option is US 10 in-the-money and the call option is worthless. Options P&L = USD (10 – (6+6)) x 1000 = Loss of USD 2000. Gamma scalping must have generated more than USD 2,000 to offset this potential loss. 2. Settles at USD 75/barrel: The call option expires worthless and the put option is USD 5 in-the-money. Loss of USD 7,000. Gamma scalping must generate at least USD 7,000 to break-even. 3. Settles at USD 70/barrel: The call and the put option both expire worthless; the entire up-front premium of USD 12,000 results in a loss. To break-even gamma scalping must generate at least USD 12,000. MARKET DATA CME Real-time Market Data helps identify trading set-ups and express market views better. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com DISCLAIMER This case study is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. Trading or investment ideas cited here are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management or trading under the market scenarios being discussed. Please read the FULL DISCLAIMER the link to which is provided in our profile description.
NYMEX:CL1!
by mintdotfinance
Crude Oil Finds a Bottom! Crude prices struggled in 2023. Although major production cuts were implemented by OPEC member countries, the USA has ramped up production, and concerns about global growth have emerged. While economic growth and demand remain a headwind moving forward, the question is whether crude is trading at fair value or if it may be undervalued. Inventories and Seasonality: Recent crude inventories data from the EIA revealed a decrease of over -9.23 million barrels, compared to the expected draw of -2.15 million barrels. Demand is beginning to ramp up, and consumers tend to travel more as the winter season comes to an end. Middle East tensions are still elevated, adding another layer of uncertainty to the supply chain dynamics. Technical Analysis: Crude has tested the 67.50-70 range many times, and this area continues to be a major support. Recent price action displays a decisive break above the 50-day EMA. Prices are now attempting to test the 200-day EMA, a much more significant area of resistance. Breaking above this 200-day EMA, coupled with a Golden Cross, could be exactly what crude needs to find upside momentum and enter a bull market in 2024. Check out CME Group real-time data plans available on TradingView here: www.tradingview.com Disclaimers: CME Real-time Market Data help identify trading set-ups and express my market views. If you have futures in your trading portfolio, you can check out on CME Group data plans available that suit your trading needs www.tradingview.com *Trade ideas cited above are for illustration only, as an integral part of a case study to demonstrate the fundamental concepts in risk management under the market scenarios being discussed. They shall not be construed as investment recommendations or advice. Nor are they used to promote any specific products, or services. Futures trading involves substantial risk of loss and may not be suitable for all investors. Trading advice is based on information taken from trade and statistical services and other sources Blue Line Futures, LLC believes are reliable. We do not guarantee that such information is accurate or complete and it should not be relied upon as such. Trading advice reflects our good faith judgment at a specific time and is subject to change without notice. There is no guarantee that the advice we give will result in profitable trades. All trading decisions will be made by the account holder. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
NYMEX:CL1!
by Blue_Line_Futures
Crude oil could rally from $72Price action has been very choppy on the daily crude oil chart, but if we place a line chart over the top is shows prices are trying to break out of a small triangle / pennant. Whilst these are usually expected to be continuation pattern, they can also make decent reversal pattern. And this case, we've see prices hold above $70 on a closing basis, and the lower candle wicks made a series of higher lows. Momentum is now turning higher. Bulls could seek dips down to $72 (yesterday's low) or a break of its high, with an upside target around $78, near the 200-day MA and 100-day EMA.
NYMEX:CL1!Long
by CityIndex
#202405 - a weekly price action market recap and outlook - oilGood evening and i hope you are well. wti crude oil Here my commentary from last week: If you have read the gold one, this one is self explanatory i think. Market is compressing prices and will soon break out. Which direction? Guess. Your’s is as good as mine. I won’t say more about it. Breakout will come soon, so if you haven’t played the range so far, you should not start now because the odds of a breakout rise daily. The bulls got their big breakout and we made 465 points last week. The next obvious target is 80 where i expect sideways movement. I also don’t think we can get there without a pullback first. Target for that pb is around 76.5 - 77. We can also just trade sideways in a tighter range but i think a retest of the 2023-12 high is an obvious magnet. Bull case: Clear breakout of the triangle and they want a measured move up to 84. First more reachable target is the 50% pullback from the big bear trend which started 2023-10 and that is around 79 and where i expect more sideways trading. If bulls can keep this above the daily 20ema, i expect they will go for the measured move target of the triangle which we broke out of, to around 84. Bear case: They see this as a leg inside a trading range 68 - 80 and there are 2 potential bull channels and we are at the top of both. Bears want a strong reversal and trading back to the tight bull channel bottom at around 76. They also see 3 clear pushes up inside that channel and have reasonable arguments to short up here and make bulls want to take profits. outlook last week: “neutral (means sideways)” → bad outlook, since we got a big bull breakout short term: sideways to down for a pullback but market is clearly always in long for now. so pullbacks will fail and we trade higher to at least 79.5 or 80. medium-long term: odds for higher prices (up until maybe 90) raised significantly but i want to see market trading above 80 first. above 80 i turn full bull for 90 or higher.
NYMEX:MCL1!Long
by priceactiontds
Crude oil back about $96 a barrel With the slowing of oil production and conflict at the Nile, I think that oil prices are going to increase, if the fed decides to cut or leave interest rates unchanged this may weaken the USD and strengthen other currencies creating more demand for oil and if inventory continues to lessen you will see a further surge in oil prices. otherwise, if the fed raises interest rates next week and productions issues come to resolve oil prices will begin to drop and I will update this post with a bearish Analysis.
NYMEX:CL1!Long
by jewlstagara
WTI Jumps to $78, Key Fibo Level - The Next Big Risk?Mega-cap tech’s climb to jumpstart 2024 fooled many strategists who called for value, cyclical, and small-cap niches to outperform. The same old playbook has been in full swing, but could that be about to change? Consider that banks, not chips, ended this week at fresh multi-year highs following a late-week pullback among the big semiconductor names. But there’s more action out there that few are paying attention to. Have you seen WTI crude oil recently? Tensions in the Red Sea have been ongoing for many weeks, but it has just been over the last few sessions that WTI has taken flight. The prompt month now trades near $78. Gasoline futures, meanwhile, rose above $2.30, implying a national retail pump price average near $3.25 over the coming weeks. Consumers might not like that, and it would come immediately after a sanguine set of University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers for January. We will get an updated read on that Friday next week. I also point out in today’s featured chart that US light sweet crude oil is now at a pivotal Fibonacci retracement level on the chart. Watch how the bulls and bears battle it out as the calendar flips to February. If we rally through $78, and hold it on pullbacks, a rotation in the market could very well take place, right as mega-cap tech reports Q4 results.
NYMEX:CL1!Long
by mikezaccardi