Natural gas storage falls short of expectations, signaling increased demand
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Thursday reported...
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Thursday reported a 53 Bcf injection of natural gas into storage for the week ended Sept. 26. Landing well below expectations, the result lifted natural gas prompt month futures to 11-week highs.
Traders note that this marks the third consecutive week of smaller-than-expected injections, indicating that late-season cooling demand and weaker wind generation are already tightening the balance. The miss amplified buying interest, with heavy volume pushing the November contract above $3.50 intraday before sellers capped the move.
The report’s findings suggest a greater demand for natural gas than initially anticipated, a factor that is bullish for natural gas prices. The forecasted figure was based on the assumption that the increase in natural gas inventories would be more than the actual figure. However, the actual number reported was significantly less than the forecasted number, implying a higher demand for natural gas.
In comparison to the previous week’s data, the current number also shows a decline. The previous week’s natural gas storage was reported at 75B, indicating a drop of 22B week over week. This decrease further underscores the increased demand for natural gas in the market.
Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq all end at record highs after 5th straight day of gains
U.S. stocks rose for a fifth-straight day on Thursday,...
U.S. stocks rose for a fifth-straight day on Thursday, with the Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite all tallying a fresh round of record highs.
It was the 30th record finish of 2025 for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq, and 10th for the Dow. The small-cap Russell 2000 also rose for a fifth day. Thursday marked the first time since November 2023 that all four indexes have risen for five straight days.
The Dow tallied its first five-day winning streak since May 2, Dow Jones Market Data showed. The S&P 500 saw its longest winning streak since July 28. For the Russell 2000, it was the longest since July 3, and for the Nasdaq, the longest since Sept. 15.
The S&P 500 rose by 4.15 points, or 0.1%, to finish at 6,715.35, according to Dow Jones Market Data.
The Nasdaq Composite rose by 88.89 points, or 0.4%, to 22,844.05.
The Dow rose by 78.62 points, or 0.2%, to 46,519.72.
EIA Rattles Oil Markets With Reports of Crude Oil, Product Builds
Crude oil inventories in the...
Crude oil inventories in the United States increased by 1.8 million barrels during the week ending September 26, after shrinking by 600,000 barrels in the week prior, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released on Wednesday. The increase brings commercial stockpiles to 416.5 million barrels according to government data, which is still 4% below the five-year average for this time of year.
The EIA’s data release follows API’s figures that were released a day earlier, which suggested that crude oil inventories contracted by 3.674 million barrels.
For total motor gasoline, the EIA reported an increase of 4.1 million barrels, after the week prior’s 1.1-million-barrel decrease. The most recent figures showed that average daily gasoline production had decreased to 9.3 million barrels. For middle distillates, inventories increased by 600,000 barrels, while production decreased to 5 million barrels per day. Distillate inventories decreased 1.7 million barrels in the week prior and are now 6% below the five-year average for this time of year.
Total products supplied over the last four weeks slipped to 20.3 million barrels per day, up 1.2% compared to the same period last year. Gasoline demand averaged 8.7 million barrels per day during the previous four weeks, while the distillate four-week average supplied fell to 3.6 million barrels—down 4.4 percent year over year.
Oil majors hedge near-term downturn with long-cycle bets
Major oil companies are reacting to a bleak short-term outlook by trimming...
Major oil companies are reacting to a bleak short-term outlook by trimming costs, jobs and share buybacks, even as they double down on long-cycle projects based on the view that slowing supply growth later this decade could lift prices into the 2030s, writes Ron Bousso. BP has committed $5 billion to a Gulf of America development due in 2030, while ExxonMobil is holding firm on $27-29 billion in 2025 spending and scouting for deals.