4 Reasons Oil Could Drop Further

 

Right around the time analysts gave up trying to predict the bottom for oil prices, the all-important commodity mounted a strong comeback.

In fact, oil's recent reversal is leading to predictions that the commodity has finally bottomed and is poised for a "V-shaped recovery," which means it could rise so fast that its price chart forms the letter V.

What's more, many asset managers have started to say it's safe to go back into oil stocks and, in some cases, are forecasting such stocks will be 2015's best investments.

Those are bold claims, and they could be right. But I doubt it.

Simply put, the fundamentals behind the bear market in oil haven't changed much: there are still too many factors that could weigh on oil prices in coming months. Indeed, there are at least four reasons why it's probably far too soon to call a bottom in oil and why prices could still set new lows before heading consistently higher. Continue reading "4 Reasons Oil Could Drop Further"

Optimistic Banker Sees 'Encouraging Time in the Basins'

The Energy Report: Bruce, the price of natural gas has remained well below $4 per thousand cubic feet ($4/Mcf). How long can junior and midcap explorers and producers (EPs) of natural gas keep on going at this rate?

Bruce Edgelow: They're in a better place than they were a year before. The marketplace isand I'll hesitantly use the word"enjoying" about a 4550% increase in prices year over year. This new price is, for the most part, bringing producers back to a break-even or a modest return on cash flow. However, they clearly need a more robust price to generate the returns that the market expects of them.

TER: The spread between West Texas Intermediate (WTI) and Brent Crude prices has narrowed to just a few dollars per barrel. How is that affecting the crude EPs? Continue reading "Optimistic Banker Sees 'Encouraging Time in the Basins'"