Oil dips on cautious markets, gold higher

Profit-taking hits oil prices

As US stimulus talks reached a temporary impasse, the more cautious tone in markets overnight was enough to spur profit-taking in an oil market that is very very long. Brent crude fell 0.90% to USD48.60 a barrel, and WTI fell 1.05% to USD45.65 a barrel. Both contracts have shed another 15 cents a barrel in muted Asian trading.

As I noted yesterday, the heaviness of long positioning, and the approaching overnight levels of their respective relative strength indexes (RSI), had made both contracts vulnerable to pullbacks. The price action overnight though, looks strictly corrective, and not a structural change in sentiment. Given the scale of oil’s rally since November’s lows, this makes complete sense.

Both Brent crude and WTI could well correct lower if the noise from Washington DC becomes more negative. But until Brent crude closes below support at USD47.00 a  barrel, and WTI below USD45.00 a barrel, both remain in technical uptrends. Initial resistance occurs at USD50.00 a barrel for Brent crude and USD47.00 a barrel for WTI.

As noted above, with equity markets, it is important not to look for conspiracies where none can explain the price action. Oil is in a period of consolidation and profit-taking, while the market awaits better visibility.

Gold’s recovery gathers steam

Gold prices raced higher overnight, with the US budget impasse spurring haven buying among precious metals, as investors lowered weightings in other asset classes. Gold finished the day higher by 1.30% at USD1862.50 an ounce as US yields edged lower. In Asia today, gold has advanced higher, rising 0.30% to USD1868.00 an ounce.

As stated yesterday, gold looks to have traced out a structural low at USD1760.00 an ounce last week. It has now moved through resistance between USD1850.00 and USD1860.00 an ounce. It is targetting the 50-day moving average at USD1875.00 an ounce, followed by the USD1900.00 an ounce region. Support lies at USD1850.00 an ounce followed by USD1825.00 an ounce.

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Jeffrey Halley

Jeffrey Halley

Senior Market Analyst, Asia Pacific, from 2016 to August 2022
With more than 30 years of FX experience – from spot/margin trading and NDFs through to currency options and futures – Jeffrey Halley was OANDA’s Senior Market Analyst for Asia Pacific, responsible for providing timely and relevant macro analysis covering a wide range of asset classes. He has previously worked with leading institutions such as Saxo Capital Markets, DynexCorp Currency Portfolio Management, IG, IFX, Fimat Internationale Banque, HSBC and Barclays. A highly sought-after analyst, Jeffrey has appeared on a wide range of global news channels including Bloomberg, BBC, Reuters, CNBC, MSN, Sky TV and Channel News Asia as well as in leading print publications such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, among others. He was born in New Zealand and holds an MBA from the Cass Business School.
Jeffrey Halley
Jeffrey Halley

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