Oil prices soared more than $4 per barrel Friday, extending a three-day rally to $10, as rising geopolitical tensions fueled fears of supply disruptions. Brent crude and WTI posted their sharpest intraday gains since 2022, reaching five-month highs.
Analysts flagged potential risks to critical shipping lanes, especially the Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly 20 million barrels per day, about 20% of global demand, transit.
While no physical disruption has yet occurred, traders remain cautious, with concerns that broader regional escalation could impact oil and gas flows. Safe-haven assets, such as gold and the Swiss franc, also rallied amid global market uncertainty.
Natural gas futures are struggling to maintain upward momentum, trading near $3.511 after a failed breakout attempt above $3.60. The price remains constrained below the descending trendline and both the 50 EMA ($3.579) and 200 EMA ($3.648), reinforcing bearish pressure.
Multiple rejections near the $3.60 level and sustained lower highs suggest sellers are defending resistance zones. If $3.507 support breaks, the next downside levels lie at $3.455 and $3.386. To shift the short-term bias, bulls need a close above $3.664.
Until then, the structure remains vulnerable to further weakness, with the path of least resistance tilted lower.
WTI crude oil is retracing after briefly touching $73.58, now testing the 50% Fibonacci retracement level at $72.14. The move follows a steep rally from $66.70, which had pushed prices above key EMAs—50 EMA at $67.29 and 200 EMA at $64.13—confirming underlying bullish momentum.
However, the recent red candle indicates waning short-term strength. If $72 fails to hold, the next support lies at the 61.8% Fib near $70.85, with deeper pullback risk toward $69.03.
On the upside, a rebound above $73.42 could reexpose $75.01. No bullish reversal signal has formed yet, and with volatility elevated, price action near the 50% retracement will be critical in determining the next move.
Brent crude has pulled back to $73.13 after reaching a high of $74.70, with price now testing the 50% Fibonacci retracement at $73.36. The decline follows a sharp rally from $66.21, with bullish momentum starting to ease as candles shrink and selling pressure builds near the 38.2% Fib level at $74.57.
Support lies at the 61.8% retracement at $72.14, aligned with the 50 EMA at $68.75, both critical to maintaining the broader uptrend.
A break below $72 would indicate deeper corrective potential, while a recovery above $74.57 could re-target $76.08. For now, short-term sentiment has shifted neutral with key levels under test.
Arslan is a finance MBA and also holds an MPhil degree in behavioral finance. An expert in financial analysis and investor psychology, Arslan uses his academic background to bring valuable insights about market sentiment and whether instruments are likely to be overbought or oversold.