WTI: Bears going to town with the coronavirus, fresh lows of $52.18 printed

WTI has extended the downside in a strong reversal of October's rise.
WTI is down over $13 since the start of the year.

Ross J Burland FXStreet

Oil priced are under pressure, extending a drop from just below the $66 handle at the start of his year to fresh lows at $52.18. Global growth risks are concerning and with the global travel complex on high alert, markets have continued to sell off sharply in response to fears that the coronavirus may spread.

"Unfortunately for the energy complex, an abundance of supply and lackluster product demand has put the crosshairs on crude oil, as speculators price-in a double-whammy from fears of weakening demand and oversupply," analysts at TD Securities explained, adding, "in this context, we expect CTA funds to add negative gamma to the market as a large-scale selling program takes place across WTI, and RBOB gasoline, with more moderate selling in Brent."

How fast is the virus spreading?

The number of infected people has increased to 2,796 up from around 200 cases one week ago. 80 people have now died up from three a week ago with the virus spreading to all but one of China's 31 provinces. Coronavirus has also been registered in 11 other countries, which have reported a total of 40 cases. Thailand has been hit the most with eight cases, while five cases have been registered in the US, so far.

WTI levels

WTI

Overview
Today last price	52.78
Today Daily Change	-1.61
Today Daily Change %	-2.96
Today daily open	54.39

Trends
Daily SMA20	59.39
Daily SMA50	58.97
Daily SMA100	57.35
Daily SMA200	57.55

Levels
Previous Daily High	55.96
Previous Daily Low	53.86
Previous Weekly High	59.65
Previous Weekly Low	53.86
Previous Monthly High	62.38
Previous Monthly Low	55.41
Daily Fibonacci 38.2%	54.66
Daily Fibonacci 61.8%	55.16
Daily Pivot Point S1	53.51
Daily Pivot Point S2	52.64
Daily Pivot Point S3	51.41
Daily Pivot Point R1	55.61
Daily Pivot Point R2	56.83
Daily Pivot Point R3	57.71

Author

Ross J Burland

FXStreet

Ross J Burland, born in England, UK, is a sportsman at heart. He played Rugby and Judo for his county, Kent and the South East of England Rugby team.

AUD/USD sticks to positive bias above 0.7100; lacks bullish conviction

AUD/USD trades with a positive bias for the second straight day, holding above 0.7100 in the Asian session on Friday as softer US bond yields keep US Dollar bulls on the back foot. Furthermore, hawkish RBA Governor Bullock's comments boost rate hike bets and support the Aussie. However, the Fed's hawkish outlook, along with geopolitical uncertainties, limits USD losses and caps the pair.

USD/JPY approaches 158.00 as Japanese Yen resumes decline

USD/JPY is resuming its upside in the European session on Friday, refreshing two-week highs and nearing 158.00. The Japanese Yen extends losses, despite the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) expected rate hike to 1.25% and hawkish Governor Ueda's comments, as two surprise dissents against the rate hike weigh on it.

Gold keeps the bid tone in place; still below $4,400

Gold adds to the optimism seen in the second half of the week, trading with decent gains just below the $4,400 mark per troy ounce on Friday. The precious metal’s advance finds traction in declining crude oil prices and fresh selling pressure on the US Dollar.

Why altcoin season isn't coming back — and what stole its capital

If, after two years of being frozen in ice, Katara and Sokka woke you up to the crypto market, it would seem like 100 years have passed. With Bitcoin soaring to record highs just over a year ago, everyone expected a routine altcoin season, where investors take profits from the top crypto to chase higher returns in altcoins.

BoJ Recap: Not as hawkish as expected

The BoJ raised its short-term interest-rate target to 1.25% from 1.00% in a 7-2 vote, marking another step in the normalisation of monetary policy and widely matching what everyone has been expecting for weeks. Governor Kazuo Ueda said the policy phase had changed.

BoJ Recap: Not as hawkish as expected

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised its short-term interest-rate target to 1.25% from 1.00% in a 7-2 vote, marking another step in the normalisation of monetary policy and widely matching what everyone has been expecting for weeks.