Thursday, September 25, 2014

Energy prices got a lift Wednesday from news that U.S. air strikes had targeted a Syrian oil installation held by ISIS. The refineries that were hit reportedly have been generating revenues of $2 million a day for the terrorist group, so the news was good (even if there was no mention of jihadis left dead by the attack). Whether or not the moderate spike in oil prices will disrupt the mini-bear market in crude remains to be seen. However, using Hidden Pivot analysis, it's possible to project a further move to the shortable 94.77 target shown. If that happens, prices will have advanced nearly 6% from their September lows. It would take just a bit more than that, however -- specifically, a print at 94.93 today or tomorrow -- to turn the daily chart outright bullish. We should not expect a bearish reversal to much alleviate rising prices at the pump, however, since crude's nearly 15% slide from late June's highs had little effect on prices, which in many parts of the country still hover near $3.80 for a gallon of regular. Reports by the slackers, fabulists and indolent hacks who bring us the news - including, unfortunately, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal -- suggested otherwise, almost to the point of saying that gasoline prices had collapsed in recent weeks. Of course, those of us who actually buy gasoline saw prices come down by only a dime or so. _______ UPDATE (September 30, 10:29 a.m. EDT): My target caught today's 94.90 top within 13 cents, and thus the start of a so-far $1.71 plunge.  If you got short as I'd suggested, please let me know in the chat room and I'll establish tracking guidance.