Traders Send January Settlement Spiraling

摘要

It was an extremely volatile week for US natural gas as bullish and bearish traders tussled in the lightly traded holiday week.Bears struck first,pushing the January contract into the $2-teens on Christmas Eve,before bulls sent the prompt month into the upper $2.20s the day after the holiday.But as the dust settled at expiration on Friday,bears were fully in control.The January contract setded at $2,158,down 5.9% or 13.6C.It was the lowest setdement since July and down 31.2c from December.What's more,it was the lowest January contract setdement in at least a decade.The Nymex three-day average was $2,208.