Oil prices slide again

By Chavon Sutton, staff reporter


NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Oil prices tumbled on Monday for the third straight trading day as investors reacted to the fraud charges against Goldman Sachs and the strength of the dollar.

What prices are doing: The contract for June crude oil delivery -- the most actively traded on Monday -- fell $1.54 to settle at $83.13 a barrel. The May contract, which expires Tuesday, fell $1.79, or about 2%, to settle at $81.45 a barrel.

chart_ws_commodity_energy_oil.03.png
For more commodities prices, click chart.

Prices had meandered within a tight range for weeks before Friday's fraud charges against Goldman Sachs help send them down 3% in a day. Though down nearly 4% over the past week to their lowest levels since early March, crude prices were still 61% higher than a year ago.

What's moving the market: Prices continue to reel over the Goldman case and the stronger dollar.

On Friday, the Securities and Exchange Commission alleged that Goldman misled investors in a sale of securities tied to subprime mortgages. The news helped send oil prices down 3%, as traders became anxious about the impact on the economic recovery and future demand.

A stronger dollar also reduced the appeal of crude oil. The currency rose 0.2% higher against the euro to $1.347 amid growing concerns that the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano eruption will have a long-term adverse impact on international travel and the European economic recovery.

A stronger dollar makes crude, which is denominated in the U.S. currency, more expensive for foreign investors. This, in turn, tends to push down demand and prices.

What analysts are saying: Oil prices had been dipping ahead of the Goldman case as many skeptical oil traders began to sell in an overheated market, but the charges gave traders the fodder they needed to sell more, according to analysts at The Schork Group.

"Traders were already decreasing their net length [positions] in crude oil," said The Schork Group in a Monday research note.

Before the recent sell-off, a runup in prices was supported by strong retail sales and other economic data, but demand levels still did not justify the spike. Last week's crude inventory report from the Energy Information Administration surprised investors with the first drop in crude oil supplies in 10 weeks.

Goldman Sachs' woes could help to keep oil prices in check ahead of the summer driving season.

"The allegations against Goldman Sachs could be the nudge required to push the market into a severe correction in the short term," said The Schork Group.

Looking ahead: The week will be relatively quiet in terms of economic reports. Traders will be looking at the weekly initial jobless claims and crude inventory reports.

They will also be keeping a close watch on new developments around the Icelandic volcanic eruption and international travel. To top of page

Just the hot list include
Frontline troops push for solar energy
The U.S. Marines are testing renewable energy technologies like solar to reduce costs and casualties associated with fossil fuels. Play
25 Best Places to find rich singles
Looking for Mr. or Ms. Moneybags? Hunt down the perfect mate in these wealthy cities, which are brimming with unattached professionals. More
Fun festivals: Twins to mustard to pirates!
You'll see double in Twinsburg, Ohio, and Ketchup lovers should beware in Middleton, WI. Here's some of the best and strangest town festivals. Play
Overnight Avg Rate Latest Change Last Week
30 yr fixed3.80%3.88%
15 yr fixed3.20%3.23%
5/1 ARM3.84%3.88%
30 yr refi3.82%3.93%
15 yr refi3.20%3.23%
Rate data provided
by Bankrate.com
View rates in your area
 
Find personalized rates:
Index Last Change % Change
Dow 32,627.97 -234.33 -0.71%
Nasdaq 13,215.24 99.07 0.76%
S&P 500 3,913.10 -2.36 -0.06%
Treasuries 1.73 0.00 0.12%
Data as of 6:29am ET
Company Price Change % Change
Ford Motor Co 8.29 0.05 0.61%
Advanced Micro Devic... 54.59 0.70 1.30%
Cisco Systems Inc 47.49 -2.44 -4.89%
General Electric Co 13.00 -0.16 -1.22%
Kraft Heinz Co 27.84 -2.20 -7.32%
Data as of 2:44pm ET

Sections

Bankrupt toy retailer tells bankruptcy court it is looking at possibly reviving the Toys 'R' Us and Babies 'R' Us brands. More

Land O'Lakes CEO Beth Ford charts her career path, from her first job to becoming the first openly gay CEO at a Fortune 500 company in an interview with CNN's Boss Files. More

Most stock quote data provided by BATS. Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. All times are ET. Disclaimer. Morningstar: © 2018 Morningstar, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Factset: FactSet Research Systems Inc. 2018. All rights reserved. Chicago Mercantile Association: Certain market data is the property of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. All content of the Dow Jones branded indices © S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC 2018 and/or its affiliates.