OPEC+ meets amid geopolitical tensions stoking higher prices and fears of Saudi Arabia desiring to regain market share, which are causing headwinds. Bill Baruch joined Yahoo Finance to give his thoughts.

Yesterday’s Close: Settled at 70.10, up +0.27 [+0.39%]
WTI Crude Oil futures are up +1.44 [+2.07%] this morning. The crude complex continues to rally off heightened tensions in the middle east as Israel – Iran tensions escalate. Netanyahu has promised retaliation for direct missile strikes by Iran while the international community urges restraint. The worry in the oil complex is that Israel will hit Iranian oil infrastructure, and the worst-case scenario is that they target Iranian nuclear sites.
OPEC’s JMMC meeting concluded yesterday, and the focus was on compliance. It’s clear now that Saudi Arabia’s “market share” comments that drove markets lower last week were an attempt to reign in overproduction in Iraq, Kazakhstan, and Russia. The comments viewed in this light are friendlier crude pricing as opposed to a goal of gaining global market share.
Yesterday’s EIA report featured a surprise build in Crude stocks, which capped yesterday’s rally. EIA report figure’s as follows (bbls):
- Crude: +3,889k vs -1,430k est
- Gasoline: +1,119k vs +200k est
- Distillate: -1,284k vs -2,000k est
Bullish sentiment in crude is gaining and chatter of new fiscal stimulus out of China is spreading. Risk in the market remains skewed to the upside as markets keep a close eye on the geopolitical situation.
WTI Crude Oil futures slipped sharply from major three-star resistance at 72.40-72.65 yesterday before responding perfectly to rare four-star support at 69.69-69.83, and things have consolidated. We are watching key resistance at…
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