Nearby NYMEX crude oil finally proved the chart work correct as it plunged from the upper portion of its September congestion pattern (89.00-90.00) to the lower portion (86.00-84.00). The decline from last Thursday's lower recovery high at 90.15 into this morning's low at 84.93 has the look and structure of a completed downleg.

If accurate, this means that a period of upside backing and filling towards its key near-term breakdown area (86.50-87.50) could be in store in the upcoming hours. It is for this reason we exited our inverse (short) position in the ProShares UltraShort DJ-UBS Crude Oil (NYSE: SCO).

Apart from this shorter-term trading strategy and outlook, my longer-term work on NYMEX crude argues strongly that a counter-trend recovery period from the August 8 low at 75.71 ended at the September 13 high at 90.52 and that a new downleg has commenced that should revisit and likely break the August low. ETF traders may want to keep an eye on the U.S. Oil Fund ETF (USO).

 

Mike Paulenoff is a 26-year veteran of the financial markets and author of MPTrader.com.