CRUDE OIL FUTURE : CONTINUATION FLAG PATTERN?- since the impact below $95 during the 4th quarter of 2023, sellers have clearly taken control of the market. This sharp sell-off took prices to a new low of $68 at the end of December.
Since then, the acceleration of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the fear of a widening of the conflict to other nations such as Iran, prices have benefited from a renewed appetite from investors.
This has led the market to enter a bullish channel since the end of December 2023, the medium-term trend is therefore bullish.
- Prices are currently trading between their 2 long moving averages, close to the upper limit of their channel, currently challenging the significant resistance represented by the 38.2% Fibonacci at $78.25.
- Even if the bullish trend still remains valid on the medium/short term, the long-term situation stays bearish on black gold.
Indeed, the flag chart pattern generally plays the role of a continuation pattern, denoting a pause in the market before the resumption of the underlying trend.
However, geopolitical uncertainty remains high and the fear of additional disruptions to supply chains could continue to represent upward leverage for the market.
If prices manage to cross $75.25, then a new upside potential towards the $80.25/$81.45 zone could be unlocked.
On the other hand, if the $75.36/$75.90 zone were to be broken, the next supports will be found at the bottom of the bullish channel, then at $71.40 and even lower towards $69.05, $65.85 and $62.65 per extension.
Pierre Veyret, Technical Analyst at ActivTrades
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