Saturday, October 27, 2012

OIL is Falling Despite the Printing Press

Despite today's less-than-stellar global economic environment, as recently as April, crude was trading well over $100 a barrel. Then Bernanke said he would keep printing money indefinately until economy gets better (in other words until prices go up). Can the printing press really stop Kondratieff Winter? Can Bernanke's newly minted dollars warm us up to borrow and spend again?
After a 4-day losing streak, on October 23 crude oil futures fell as low as $85.69 a barrel -- the lowest price since July.

Predictably, the mainstream energy market observers have blamed the drop on "global economic worries." Of course, we have pointed out before how, on one recent occasion, oil fell in the face of positive economic expectations. And on another recent occasion, oil fell despite the absence of any real news, period. Fundamentals, news, events do not determine the prices in financial markets. It is something else: Social mood drives markets.

So, the mainstream analysts have to do better than "global economic worries" to explain the latest oil selloff...except that they can't.

See, in the world of "fundamental" analysis, markets always react to something. If it's not A, then it's B; and if not B, then it's C. "Action" outside the markets produces a "reaction" inside them. So it's simply inconceivable for a conventional analyst to suggest anything other than an outside factor -- the handy "global economic worries," in this case -- to pin the October 23 selloff on.

Fine...except, doesn't every day now bring some 'concern about global economic growth'?

Europe has been dealing with the debt crisis for several years now; China's economy has been cooling off; and right here in the U.S. -- well, every month it's been hit and miss with various economic indicators, from unemployment to manufacturing to consumer confidence.

One could argue that in this environment, oil prices should be half of what they are today. But they aren't. In fact, as recently as April, crude was trading well over $100 a barrel.

When it's all said and done, you have to accept the fact: To get serious about forecasting the future trend in crude, you have to consider something other than the proverbial "fundamentals." Elliott wave analysis provides a real alternative.

By studying price charts, wave analysis tracks and measures the changes in the market's collective psychology. After all, what moves market prices but the market participants? If you can forecast their bias, bullish or bearish, you can reasonably forecast the market. And right now can you see how EWI Founder and President Robert Prechter views the common argument over "peak oil" for free.



Free Oil Report from Robert Prechter
In July 2008, when crude oil prices were at $148 a barrel and "peak oil" bulls were forecasting a rise to $200, even $300 a barrel, contrarian technical analyst Robert Prechter took the opposite stance: "One of the greatest commodity tops of all time is due very soon." Six months later, a barrel of oil cost just $32. Now, you can read Prechter's big-picture outlook on the oil markets in a newly released report.
Follow this link to download Prechter's 26-page oil report now

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