WTI Price Analysis: Oil buyers run out of steam near $72.00 as markets brace for data

WTI crude oil struggles to refresh a two-week high while sticking to mild gains around $72.00 amid early Thursday in Europe. In doing so, the black gold remains within a one-week-old rising trend channel as it makes rounds to the weekly top.

The oil benchmark’s latest upside also takes clues from the clear upside break of a previously important resistance line stretched from late May, as well as the quote’s run-up beyond the 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of May 24 to June 12 downside, near $71.70-65 at the latest.

Further, bullish MACD signals also favor black gold buyers.

However, the overbought RSI conditions and the nearness to the one-week-old rising channel’s top line, close to $72.40 by the press time, challenge the WTI bulls. Following that, the late June swing high of around $72.70 can act as the final defense of the oil bears.

Meanwhile, the market’s positioning for the US ISM Services PMI and ADP Employment Change for June, as well as the Eurozone Retail Sales for May, seem to play its role in challenging the Oil traders of late.

That said, a downside break of $71.65 can trigger a quick fall of the WTI price towards a $70.80 support confluence including the 50% Fibonacci retracement and 200-SMA.

Though, the aforementioned bullish channel’s support line, close to $70.70 at the latest, can challenge the Oil bears afterward.

WTI crude oil: Four-hour chart

Trend: Pullback expected