WTI: Could Oil Hit its H&S Target at 90.00?

Three weeks ago, we highlighted a developing Head-and-Shoulders pattern on WTI, suggesting that a break below the pattern’s neckline at 99.00 could open the door for a drop below 95.00 (see “WTI Stands for ‘Why The Impotence?’” below for more). In retrospect, that call has proven far too conservative, as oil prices are at a new 7-month low under 93.00, down over $4 in the last 24 hours. A big factor behind this drop has been an unusual confluence of geopolitical and logistic factors, but the technical outlook nonetheless suggests that there could be room for even more weakness from here.

Yesterday’s collapse took oil below the 78.6% Fibonacci retracement of its January-June rally at 94.75, and the selling pressure has only intensified since then. Yesterday’s price action formed a clear Bearish Marubozu Candle* on the daily chart, indicating strong selling pressure and foreshadowing today’s continuation lower. Simultaneously, the MACD continues to trend downward below both its signal line and the “0” level, showing growing selling momentum. Not surprisingly, the RSI indicator is now in oversold territory, but that does not necessarily suggest we’ll see an imminent bounce, as we discussed in a similar scenario on the GBPUSD in today’s Lowdown video.

Revisiting the H&S pattern, the measured move target projection comes in down near psychological support at 90.00, a level that would have been blasphemous to suggest a mere month ago. Before that level comes into play though, prices will have to break the 2014 low around 91.25, which is also the lowest price oil has traded at in 15 months. Meanwhile, any oversold bounces from current levels may be limited to 94.75-95.25, a zone of previous support-turned-resistance.

* A Marubozu candle is formed when prices open very near to one extreme of the candle and close very near the other extreme. Marubozu candles represent strong momentum in a given direction.

Source: FOREX.com