|

WTI struggling to recapture $90 heading into the end of the week

  • WTI is strung up near $89.00/bbl after slipping off of recent highs.
  • US crude barrels briefly saw $92.00 in the midweek on continuing supply concerns.
  • Price pressures have eased heading into the weekend, but prices are set to continue rising.

West Texas Intermediary (WT) US crude oil is struggling to hold onto the $90.00 price level as Friday trading leaves crude oil barrels trading mostly flat for the day, briefly piercing the major handle before falling back to near where the day's trading began.

Crude oil prices are seeing strong support looking forward, with global supply set to leave oil demand chronically undersupplied for the near future. 

WTI US crude oil prices are up over 11% on the year, and have gained nearly 40% from the year's low at $64.31.

Market analysts broadly expect crude barrels to reach $100 in the future as global reserves of crude barrels dwindle away in what some experts calculate to be a 2 million bpd deficit in global production.

Ongoing production cuts to buoy crude prices towards the upside

Saudi Arabia and Russia have extended production cuts worth a combined 1.3 million bpd through the end of the year, bolstering prices across the globe and sending production facilities into a buying frenzy to eat up the expanded margins on oil accumulation, further constraining available supply.

WTI technical outlook

US crude oil has closed in the green for ten of the last twelve months. Daily candles see crude prices well above technical support, with the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) near $77.00, well below current price action.

A rising trendline from late June's lows near $67.00 remains in place, and bullish momentum is currently running far away from the technical pattern.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) and Moving Average Convergence-Divergence (MACD) indicators are both firmly planted in overbought territory, and it will take a significant profit-taking reversal to recover the indicator patterns.

WTI daily chart

WTI technical levels

WTI US OIL

Overview
Today last price89.6
Today Daily Change0.26
Today Daily Change %0.29
Today daily open89.34
 
Trends
Daily SMA2086.34
Daily SMA5082.31
Daily SMA10076.89
Daily SMA20076.87
 
Levels
Previous Daily High90.71
Previous Daily Low88.15
Previous Weekly High90.56
Previous Weekly Low86.23
Previous Monthly High84.32
Previous Monthly Low77.53
Daily Fibonacci 38.2%89.73
Daily Fibonacci 61.8%89.13
Daily Pivot Point S188.09
Daily Pivot Point S286.84
Daily Pivot Point S385.53
Daily Pivot Point R190.65
Daily Pivot Point R291.96
Daily Pivot Point R393.21

Author

Joshua Gibson

Joshua joins the FXStreet team as an Economics and Finance double major from Vancouver Island University with twelve years' experience as an independent trader focusing on technical analysis.

More from Joshua Gibson
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD keeps range near 0.6950 after Australian trade data

AUD/USD consolidates near a two-month low, trading around mid-0.6900s in the Asian session on Thursday amid a bullish US Dollar. The US PCE data tempered October Fed hike bets, though oil-driven inflation fears remain supportive of elevated US bond yields. Meanwhile, Australia's trade surplus shrank sharply in August to AUD495M, having limited impact on the Aussie Dollar and the pair.


USD/JPY sits at weekly top above 158.00 as bullish USD counters intervention risks

USD/JPY is sitting at the top end of its weekly range above 158.00 in the Asian session on Thursday. Despite the softer US PCE data, oil-driven inflation risks keep US bond yields elevated near multi-year highs. Moreover, the US-Iran standoff benefits the safe-haven US Dollar and supports the pair. Broad US Dollar strength counters hawkish BoJ expectations and Japanese intervention risks.

$4,200: Gold sellers to retain control below that level ahead of ISM PMI

Gold is trying hard to contain the downside, while trading close to $4,150 in Thursday’s Asian trading, having faced rejection above $4,200 on Wednesday. Focus now turns to a fresh batch of US economic data releases and speeches from Federal Reserve policymakers for fresh hints on a possible interest rate hike in October.

Why CLARITY Act's failure is beneficial for crypto
Bitwise CIO Matt Hougan stated Wednesday that the crypto market has rallied since the US Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act, arguing that the legislation’s collapse allowed regulators to move faster on industry rules. Hougan noted that Bitcoin (BTC) has gained 8% and Ethereum (ETH) 7% since the vote, while several altcoins posted larger gains.
The Fed's October hike shrinks with the inflation it was built on

Traders have moved the next Federal Reserve hike from October 28 to December 9, and the inflation report that added to the move said more about July than August. The government's annual rewrite, published alongside the August Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index, cut July's core reading, which leaves out food and energy, from 3.3% to 3%.

The Euro is near a one-year low: Inflation could trigger its rebound, not its fall

EUR/USD has fallen to its lowest level since May 2025, but a fresh inflation shock in the Eurozone could give the Euro (EUR) an unexpected lifeline. The pair hit 1.1312 on Wednesday and trades well below the January peak of 1.2082.