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This week a candlestick pattern indicates the most likely direction for next week. How far this next wave moves may indicate which Elliott wave count is most likely.

Summary: A pullback now to either 72.45 or (more likely) 70.31 looks likely. A new low below 66.86 would indicate more downwards movement to about 63.60.

Thereafter, the upwards trend should resume with strength.

Pullbacks may be used as opportunities to join the trend.

New updates to this analysis are in bold.

MAIN WAVE COUNT

MONTHLY CHART

US Oil Elliott Wave Chart Monthly 2018
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The bear market for US Oil looks to be over and a new bull market looks to be in its early stages. The prior bearish wave count has been invalidated, leaving only this very bullish wave count.

A huge zigzag down to the last low may be complete and is labelled here Super Cycle wave (II).

Cycle wave b must be seen as complete in August 2013 for this wave count to work. It cannot be seen as complete at the prior major swing high in May 2011.

Cycle wave b is seen as a zigzag, and within it primary wave B is seen as a running contracting triangle. These are fairly common structures, although nine wave triangles are uncommon. All subdivisions fit.

Primary wave C moves beyond the end of primary wave A, so it avoids a truncation. But it does not have to move above the price territory of primary wave B to avoid a truncation, which is an important distinction.

If cycle wave b begins there, then cycle wave c may be seen as a complete five wave impulse.

Super Cycle wave (III) must move beyond the end of Super Cycle wave (I). It must move far enough above that point to allow room for a subsequent Super Cycle wave (IV) to unfold and remain above Super Cycle wave (I) price territory.

Cycle wave I may be incomplete. It may be unfolding as an impulse and may have now moved through the middle portion. Commodities have a tendency to exhibit swift strong fifth waves, and this tendency is especially prevalent for third wave impulses. Intermediate wave (5) to end primary wave 3 may be very swift and strong, ending with a blow off top.

When cycle wave I is complete, then cycle wave II may be a deep correction that may not move beyond the start of cycle wave I below 26.06.

Data from FXCM for USOil does not go back to the beginning of Super Cycle wave (I). Without an accurate known length of Super Cycle wave (I) a target cannot be calculated for Super Cycle wave (III) to end using Fibonacci ratios. The target for Super Cycle wave (III) may be calculated when cycle waves I, II, III and IV within it are complete. That cannot be done for many years.

WEEKLY CHART

US Oil Elliott Wave Chart Weekly 2018
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Intermediate wave (3) is now complete. There is no Fibonacci ratio between intermediate waves (1) and (3), and intermediate wave (3) is longer than 1.618 the length of intermediate wave (1).

This wave count fits with classic technical analysis at the monthly and daily chart levels.

Intermediate wave (2) was a deep double zigzag. Given the guideline of alternation, intermediate wave (4) may be expected to most likely be a shallow flat, triangle or combination. It may be about even in duration with intermediate wave (2), or it may be a little longer because triangles and combinations are more time consuming structures.

Intermediate wave (4) has now lasted 19 weeks. It is now possible though it could be a complete triangle; this idea is published below. The next expectation will now be for it to possibly complete in a further 2 weeks to total a Fibonacci 21. It may not exhibit a Fibonacci duration though (this is a rough guideline only).

Intermediate wave (4) may find support about the lower edge of the black Elliott channel. It may end within the price territory of the fourth wave of one lesser degree; minor wave 4 has its territory from 66.65 to 59.13.

At this stage, only two structural options fit for intermediate wave (4) at the daily chart level: a triangle and a combination. At this stage, the triangle wave count has a little more support from classic technical analysis, so it is published first below.

TRIANGLE

US Oil Elliott Wave Chart Daily 2018
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Intermediate wave (4) may be a complete triangle.

All triangle sub-waves subdivide into single or multiple zigzags, with only one sub-wave a more complicated multiple. The final wave of minor wave E ends reasonably short of the A-C trend line.

This triangle meets all Elliott wave rules, but it does come to a rather quick conclusion. This is possible, but it does not have a typical look. The probability is now slightly reduced.

If intermediate wave (4) is complete, then intermediate wave (5) has begun. Within intermediate wave (5), a pullback for minor wave 2 may now unfold that may not move beyond the start of minor wave 1 below 66.86. Minor wave 2 may end about the 0.382 or 0.618 Fibonacci ratios of minor wave 1, with the 0.618 Fibonacci ratio slightly favoured as a target.

COMBINATION

US Oil Elliott Wave Chart Daily 2018
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Intermediate wave (4) may be unfolding as a double combination.

The first structure in a double combination may be a complete zigzag labelled minor wave W. There is a little disproportion within minute wave a between the corrections of minuette waves (ii) and (iv), but this is slight enough to be acceptable for this market.

The double is joined by a complete three in the opposite direction, a zigzag labelled minor wave X. X waves within combinations have no minimum nor maximum allowable length, and may make new price extremes beyond the start of wave W as this one does. The only guideline in terms of depth for X waves is that they are normally very deep.

The second structure in a double combination would most likely be a flat correction as the two most common structures in a double combination are one zigzag and one flat.

Within a possible flat correction for minor wave Y, minute wave a looks like a completed three. Minute wave b has now met the minimum 0.9 length of minute wave a, and it has moved beyond the start of minute wave a, indicating an expanded flat. Minute wave b is within the common range of 1 to 1.38 times the length of minute wave a. Expanded flats are very common structures.

Minute wave c would need to end at least slightly below the end of minute wave a at 64.43 to avoid a truncation and a very rare running flat.

The purpose of the second structure in a double combination is to take up time and move price sideways. To achieve this purpose minor wave Y would be most likely to end about the same level as minor wave W about 63.60.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

MONTHLY CHART

US Oil Chart Monthly 2018
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com.

The larger trend remains upwards.

The last three months have seen price move sideways. Three long and lower monthly wicks are bullish. Now September shows support from volume for upwards movement; the short term volume profile is now bullish.

On Balance Volume gives a bullish signal, breaking above resistance. On Balance Volume has also made a new high above the prior high of May 2011. As On Balance Volume should be read as a leading indicator, price may follow through with a new high above May 2011’s high.

WEEKLY CHART

US Oil Chart Weekly 2017
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com.

It is upwards weeks during the consolidation that have strongest support from volume. This looks like a continuation pattern. The breakout would most likely be upwards.

This week saw price overshoot resistance and quickly return back to within the consolidation zone. This weekly candlestick completes a Shooting Star pattern, which is a bearish reversal.

The short term volume profile is a little unclear, but support for upwards movement of this last week may be read as bullish.

DAILY CHART

US Oil Chart Daily 2017
Click chart to enlarge. Chart courtesy of StockCharts.com.

Upwards movement had support from volume at the end of the upwards swing this week. Now price falls of its own weight for the last two sessions. The short term volume profile is bullish.

Price closed above resistance but has quickly returned back within the consolidation zone.

With ADX extreme and both RSI and Stochastics overbought, some pullback here looks likely. Support below is about 72.60 and 69.40.

Published @ 09:41 p.m. EST.


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