Basic Materials

Oil Market Summary for 03/15/2010 to 03/19/2010

Crude oil futures kept falling back from highs even though speculative funds increased their bets that prices are headed higher. The benchmark West Texas Intermediate contract ended the week at $80.68 a barrel, after nearing $83 earlier in the week, compared to $81.24 a week ago.

The increasing use in the United States of gasoline, jet fuel and other petroleum products made from Canada’s oil sands has aroused opposition from Canadian and U. S. environmentalists equal in intensity to that induced by nuclear waste.

The U.S. deficit and the Treasury bonds which must be sold to fund it are beyond comprehension.

More than half of the state governors urged the federal government to adopt a nationwide renewable energy standard to replace the patchwork of state legislation and foster growth of wind and other alternative energy resources.

One of the most valuable things a mining company can have is expertise.

Exploring for, delineating, and mining ore bodies is an extremely tough business. The success rates for going from a discovery through to positive feasibility through to first production (and actually making money on this process) are right of the decimal point.

A maritime boundary dispute between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire that erupted this month casts doubt on future international oil claims near the contested area and raises questions about the reaction of foreign investors to the uncertainty.

Mother Nature's been good to the North American natural gas sector.

Not only did she gift several massive shale gas plays over the last few years. She also delivered a frigid winter this year, helping draw down a mountain of gas inventory.
Last fall, it looked like U.S. inventories were going to be a stiff headwind for prices.

On September 14, 1960 OPEC began operations as an ad-hoc talk-shop of sorts, and five years later became a permanent part of Vienna’s international bureaucracy.

Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is forming what could be a tell tale sign of a top on the daily chart. The candle formation is known as a possible topping tail. A topping tail occurs when a stock runs up in

With Paddy's Day now a hangover what had Zignals Trading Strategies to offer? Today's signals over ETFs, India, UK, US, Aussie, Ireland and Frankfurt exchanges. No Forex signals however.

If I may, I would like to rebut or add a little objectivity to the flood of “Peak Oil” articles circulating around. When I see another crisis looming in the balance, and dramatized articles that warn of the “Dangers of Peak Oil,” I must question the validity or how this will effect the world, the USA, and you and I personally, and if indeed a crisis is at hand.

The ramifications of Google's decision to leave China are deep: China's leadership, be careful what you wish for.

Nuclear power is an important part of the solution to global warming, claimed one conference in Paris last week. No, asserted another conference outside Berlin, nuclear power is not an effective way to combat carbon emissions and will drain capital from alternative energies that are.

UAL Corporation (NASDAQ:UAUA) and most of the major airlines are trading lower this morning. The airline sector has had a terrific rally recently soaring to new 52 week highs.

Many of the airlines have been reporting

The U.S. Dollar is trading lower overnight. This is triggering an increase in demand for higher risk assets such as equities, gold and crude oil