Mitrade Insights is dedicated to providing investors with rich, timely and most valuable financial information to help investors grasp the market situation and find timely trading opportunities.

2021

Best News & Analysis Provider

FxDailyInfo

2022

Best Forex Educational Resources Global

International Business Magazine

Insights

News

Commodities

WTI rallies, en route to $79.00 after EIA Crude Oil inventories slightly miss forecasts

Source Fxstreet

Crude Oil markets on the rebound on Thursday after supplies ease.
Distillate inventories showed a surprise drop, fueling a bounce.
Geopolitical tensions are mixed, with a possible Gaza ceasefire on the table.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) US Crude Oil rallied on Thursday as energy markets find relief from Energy Information Administration (EIA) barrel counts came in just below forecasts, and eased back from a previous 12 million-plus barrel supply count.

EIA Distillate Inventories declined a little over 4 million barrels, sparking a relief rally in Crude Oil, and the EIA’s Crude Oil Inventories rose 3.514 million barrels for the week ended February 16 compared to the forecast 3.75 million barrels. The below-forecast barrel count sent prices higher as barrel traders shrug off the previous EIA barrel counts, as well as the American Petroleum Insititute’s (API) Weekly Crude Oil Stocks count of 7.168 million released on Wednesday.

According to the EIA, overall US gasoline production averaged 9 million barrels per day over the week, down slightly from the previous week’s 9.2 million bpd.

Geopolitical tensions eased slightly early Thursday as there are signs that a hostage exchange and possible ceasefire negotiation is still on the table in the ongoing Gaza conflict between Israel and Palestinian Hamas. Tensions rose immediately after when Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen declared that they will continue to target civilian vessels in the Red Sea, and intend to step up the rate of attacks.

Yemeni Houthis have declared that they expanded the scope of ships they plan to attack, and are now including American and UK-owned vessels that they find crossing the Suez Canal.

WTI technical outlook

US Crude Oil rallied over 2% bottom-to-top on Thursday, lifting from above the $77.00 handle to clear $78.00, and WTI is poised to reclaim $79.00. Thursday’s rally saw a clean bounce from the 200-hour Simple Moving Average (SMA) near $77.35.

WTI has risen to its highest bids since late January, and US Crude Oil has closed higher or flat for all but two of the last fourteen consecutive trading days.

Thursday’s rise in barrel bids also sees WTI set for a bullish extension above the 200-day SMA near $77.60, and the nearest swing high sits at January’s late peak at $79.20.

WTI hourly chart

WTI daily chart

Disclaimer: For information purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Recommended Articles

Bitcoin CME gaps at $35,000, $27,000 and $21,000, which one gets filled first?Prioritize filling the $27,000 gap and even try higher.

Author FXStreet

Aug 22, 2023

Prioritize filling the $27,000 gap and even try higher.

Natural Gas sinks to pivotal level as China’s demand slumps Natural Gas price (XNG/USD) edges lower and sinks to $2.56 on Monday, extending its losing streak for the fifth day in a row. The move comes on the back of China cutting its Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) imports after prices rose above $3.0 in June. It

Author FXStreet

Jul 01, 2024

Natural Gas price (XNG/USD) edges lower and sinks to $2.56 on Monday, extending its losing streak for the fifth day in a row. The move comes on the back of China cutting its Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) imports after prices rose above $3.0 in June. It

Pinduoduo Earnings Incoming: Morgan Stanley Sees Long-Term Profit Potential Insights – On November 21, Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo (PDD) will release its Q3 2024 earnings.

Author Mitrade

Nov 20, 2024

Insights – On November 21, Chinese e-commerce giant Pinduoduo (PDD) will release its Q3 2024 earnings.

Bitcoin briefly loses 2025 gains as crypto plunges over the weekend.Bitcoin experienced a sharp decline this weekend, briefly erasing its 2025 gains and dipping below its year-opening value of $93,507. The cryptocurrency fell to a low of $93,029 on Sunday, representing a 25% drop from its all-time high in October. Although it has rebounded slightly to around $94,209, the pressures on the market remain significant. The downturn occurred despite the reopening of the U.S. government on Thursday, which many had hoped would provide essential support for crypto markets. This year initially appeared promising for cryptocurrencies, particularly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has established the most pro-crypto administration thus far. However, ongoing political tensions—including Trump's tariff strategies and the recent government shutdown, lasting a historic 43 days—have contributed to several rapid price pullbacks for Bitcoin throughout the year. Market dynamics are also being influenced by Bitcoin whales—investors holding large amounts of Bitcoin—who have been offloading portions of their assets, consequently stalling price rallies even as positive regulatory developments emerge. Despite these sell-offs, analysts from Glassnode argue that this behavior aligns with typical patterns seen among long-term investors during the concluding stages of bull markets, suggesting it is not indicative of a mass exodus. Notably, Bitcoin is not alone in its struggles, as Ethereum and Solana have also recorded declines of 7.95% and 28.3%, respectively, since the start of the year, while numerous altcoins have faced even steeper losses. Looking ahead, questions linger regarding the viability of the four-year cycle thesis, particularly given the increasing institutional support and regulatory frameworks now in place in the crypto landscape. Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, remains optimistic, suggesting a potential Bitcoin resurgence in 2026 driven by the “debasement trade” thesis and a broader trend toward increased adoption of stablecoins, tokenization, and decentralized finance. Hougan emphasized the soundness of the underlying fundamentals, pointing to a positive outlook for the sector in the longer term.

Author Mitrade

Nov 17, 2025

Bitcoin experienced a sharp decline this weekend, briefly erasing its 2025 gains and dipping below its year-opening value of $93,507. The cryptocurrency fell to a low of $93,029 on Sunday, representing a 25% drop from its all-time high in October. Although it has rebounded slightly to around $94,209, the pressures on the market remain significant. The downturn occurred despite the reopening of the U.S. government on Thursday, which many had hoped would provide essential support for crypto markets. This year initially appeared promising for cryptocurrencies, particularly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who has established the most pro-crypto administration thus far. However, ongoing political tensions—including Trump's tariff strategies and the recent government shutdown, lasting a historic 43 days—have contributed to several rapid price pullbacks for Bitcoin throughout the year. Market dynamics are also being influenced by Bitcoin whales—investors holding large amounts of Bitcoin—who have been offloading portions of their assets, consequently stalling price rallies even as positive regulatory developments emerge. Despite these sell-offs, analysts from Glassnode argue that this behavior aligns with typical patterns seen among long-term investors during the concluding stages of bull markets, suggesting it is not indicative of a mass exodus. Notably, Bitcoin is not alone in its struggles, as Ethereum and Solana have also recorded declines of 7.95% and 28.3%, respectively, since the start of the year, while numerous altcoins have faced even steeper losses. Looking ahead, questions linger regarding the viability of the four-year cycle thesis, particularly given the increasing institutional support and regulatory frameworks now in place in the crypto landscape. Matt Hougan, chief investment officer at Bitwise, remains optimistic, suggesting a potential Bitcoin resurgence in 2026 driven by the “debasement trade” thesis and a broader trend toward increased adoption of stablecoins, tokenization, and decentralized finance. Hougan emphasized the soundness of the underlying fundamentals, pointing to a positive outlook for the sector in the longer term.

WTI Price Forecast: Seems vulnerable near $90.50 as technical breakdown comes into play West Texas Intermediate (WTI) – the benchmark US Crude Oil price – plummets to a nearly two-week trough during the Asian session on Wednesday in reaction to news that the US and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire.

Author FXStreet

Yesterday 01: 48

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) – the benchmark US Crude Oil price – plummets to a nearly two-week trough during the Asian session on Wednesday in reaction to news that the US and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire.

Related Instrument