Crude Oil Forecast Summer 2009

By: Nadeem_Walayat

This is a quick update to the analysis of December 2008 that projected an uptrend in the Crude Oil price into mid 2009 targeting $75, to be followed by a downtrend back below $50 towards $40 as illustrated by the original graph.

Crude Oil Summer Trend

Quick Technical Analysis - Crude oil hit its summer objective in June by peaking just shy of $74, following which it made a lower high at 73, and confirmed the downtrend on break below 66. The current action is expected to correct the bull run from $35 in December 2008, with the key consolidation zone of $47.5 to $55 which crude oil is homing in on to again form a base for the resumption of the rally into 2010. Therefore we have a price target zone of $47.50 to $55, the question now is how long will the downtrend last ? The downtrend appears to be projecting for a trend lower into late August / Early September, thereafter some sideways action could be in order before the rally gains traction later in the year.

Crude Oil Conclusion - Downtrend targeting $45 to $50 by start of September 2009, thereafter base building before the next leg higher.

The in depth update for crude oil will follow later, to ensure you receive this in your email box subscribe to my always free newsletter.

Crude Oil Mega-Trend - The long-term mega-trend is for much higher crude oil prices, we will probably see see the $200 oil price that Goldman Sachs were calling and distributing into as crude oil approached $150 last June. However as I pointed out in the analysis of December 2008 and iterated several times during the year that where oil is concerned 2009 will be the year for accumulating long-term investment position.

Therefore the trend to $45 gives long-term investors ANOTHER opportunity to accumulate into a mega-trend. Favoured routes are the oil ETF's , oil producers and explorers again spread your risk by using ETF's and investment trusts, and off course theirs Russia, a crashed stock market that has so far failed to recover despite the recent rebound in the oil price, again this would need to be a long-term exposure.

Leveraged ETF's Warning

I was going to write at depth as to why investors should steer well away from leveraged ETF's such as that for crude oil, where even if your RIGHT and the price of oil doubles as it did, you could STILL LOSE MONEY!, Leveraged ETF's should be avoided by all but ultra-short-term traders and I am talking about 1 to 3 days, any more and your trading the wrong vehicle, instead I see infuriating commentary on the internet targeting investors towards leveraged ETF's ! In my opinion THEY ARE A SCAM INVESTMENT DESIGNED TO PART YOU WITH YOUR MONEY. Short-term trading vehicle?, maybe, but Investment vehicle - NO!. Ron Rowland explained earlier in detail how they work - Understanding The Dangers of Leveraged ETF's.

Inflation / Deflation

The higher crude oil rose during the first half of 2009, the greater were the expectations for much higher inflation, in fact at the peak these tipped into many calls for hyperinflation. Now as crude oil has begun is downtrend the deflation argument has again come to the fore as the more dominant outlook.

My own analysis in the forecast for UK inflation for 2009 as of Dec 08, forecast that UK inflation as measured by the RPI index would fall to -1.2% by mid 2009 and thereafter see a return to mild inflation by year end to target +0.8%. UK inflation hit -1.2% in April and recorded a -1.1% rate for May, which is inline with the forecast and therefore we should continue to see a gradual trend out of deflation and towards a weak +0.8% RPI inflation rate by year end.

Therefore my conclusion remains that after deflation ends in the coming months, inflation looks set to remain weak into the end of 2009 and most likely for the first half of 2010 at least. I will elaborate up on the inflation outlook and forecast for 2010 later this year.

So I do not see forward signs of either deep deflation or hyperinflation, but rather weak inflation for the next 6 to 12 months.

Economy

The falling oil price acts as a stimulus to economy so should 'eventually' be positive for the stock market, the pattern of trend of which is expected to be inline with my outlook for the stock market.

By Nadeem Walayat
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk

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Nadeem Walayat has over 20 years experience of trading derivatives, portfolio management and analysing the financial markets, including one of few who both anticipated and Beat the 1987 Crash. Nadeem's forward looking analysis specialises on the housing market and interest rates. Nadeem is the Editor of The Market Oracle, a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. We present in-depth analysis from over 250 experienced analysts on a range of views of the probable direction of the financial markets. Thus enabling our readers to arrive at an informed opinion on future market direction. http://www.marketoracle.co.uk

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