Natural Gas falls as forecasts finally call for warming trend

Natural Gas.....
Investing.com - Natural gas futures moved sideways in afternoon trading on Monday after weather forecasts pointed to warmer weather patterns settling in for the eastern half of the U.S. in the coming days.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, natural gas futures for delivery in May traded at USD4.024 per million British thermal units, up 0.01%.

The commodity hit a session low of USD3.936 and a high of USD4.043.
Weather forecasting models that called for a chilly end to winter finally pointed to a thawing trend in the coming days.

MDA Weather Services forecasted above-normal temperatures to settle in for the eastern U.S. from April 6 through April 15, which allowed for choppy trading as investors digested how unseasonably cold weather that stuck around for most of March will give way to a return to springtime weather patterns.

Bullish inventory figures released late last week by the U.S. government gave natural gas some support.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report on Thursday that natural gas storage in the U.S. in the week ended March 22 fell by 95 billion cubic feet, outpacing expectations for a drop of 87 billion cubic feet.

Total U.S. natural gas storage stood at 1,781 trillion cubic feet as of last week. Stocks were 642 billion cubic feet less than last year at this time and 61 billion cubic feet above the five-year average of 1.720 trillion cubic feet for this time of year.

The report showed that in the East Region, stocks were 41 billion cubic feet below the five-year average, following net withdrawals of 73 billion cubic feet. 

Stocks in the Producing Region were 30 billion cubic feet above the five-year average of 707 billion cubic feet after a net withdrawal of 17 billion cubic feet.

U.S. Elsewhere on the NYMEX, light sweet crude oil futures for delivery in May were down 0.25% and trading at USD96.98 a barrel, while heating oil futures for May delivery were up 0.88% at USD3.0738 per gallon.

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Gold inches higher, extends U.S. gains

Gold....
Investing.com - Gold futures are trading modestly higher in the early part of Tuesday’s Asian session, extending a small gain accrued during Monday’s U.S. session. 

On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for June delivery rose 0.01% to USD1,601.95 per troy ounce in Asian trading Tuesday after settling up 0.25% at USD1,599.65 a troy ounce in U.S. trading Monday. 

Gold futures were likely to test support USD1,591.95 a troy ounce, Wednesday's low, and resistance at USD1,608.85, Wednesday's high. 

Gold moved slightly higher Monday following two mixed U.S. data points. In U.S. economic news, the Institute for Supply Management's March index fell to 51.3 from 54.2 in February. Readings above 50 indicate expansion. Analysts had expected the index to remain unchanged at 54.2. 

In another report, data showed construction spending rose 1.2% in February topping analysts’ estimates calling for a 1% increase. 

Gold traded in a tight range Monday because several major European markets were closed in observance of the Easter holiday. European fears were mostly left out of the headlines today, but traders did pay some attention to the situation in North Korea. The country has recently levied harsh threats against the U.S. and South Korea. 

Traders are also eying Friday’s non-farm payroll for March from the U.S. Economists expect the world’s largest economy to show the addition of 200,000 jobs last month following a surprisingly strong February report that showed 236,000 new jobs were created. 

Elsewhere, Comex silver for May delivery added 0.42% to USD28.060 per ounce while copper for May delivery rose 0.07% to USD3.375 per ounce. Platinum for July delivery is off 0.06% at USD1,595.45 per ounce

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Oil falls following mixed U.S. data

Oil.......

Investing.com - Oil futures are trading slightly to the downside in Asia Tuesday as traders digest a pair of mixed data points from the U.S. that were delivered on Monday. 

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude futures for May delivery fell 0.21% to USD96.86 per barrel in Asian trading Tuesday after settling down 0.62% at USD96.63 a barrel on Monday in the U.S. 

In U.S. economic news, the Institute for Supply Management's March index fell to 51.3 from 54.2 in February. Readings above 50 indicate expansion. Analysts had expected the index to remain unchanged at 54.2. 

In another report, data showed construction spending rose 1.2% in February topping analysts’ estimates calling for a 1% increase. The U.S. is the world’s largest oil consumer. 

Speaking of data points that could really move oil prices later this week, traders are awaiting Friday’s non-farm payroll for March from the U.S. Economists expect the world’s largest economy to show the addition of 200,000 jobs last month following a surprisingly strong February report that showed 236,000 new jobs were created. 

Elsewhere, Syria confirmed rebels there set fire to three oil wells in the eastern part of the country, causing the loss of 5,000 barrels per day in oil production and 52,000 cubic meters of natural gas per day. Media reports said the rebels have actually set nine wells ablaze, but it was not confirmed when the other six were ignited. 

The European Union country has sanctions on Syria, which is only a small oil exporter. 

Meanwhile, Brent futures for May deliver fell 0.03% to USD110.89 per barrel on the ICE Futures Exchange.

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