Dow Drops More Than 500 Points to Start the Week After Historic Oil Plunge

By CNBC. Stocks fell sharply Monday, retreating after back-to-back weekly gains, as a historic decline in U.S. crude prices raised concerns about the economic damage being done by coronavirus shutdowns. A delay in funding the for the depleted small business rescue loan program also weighed on sentiment.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 592.05 points lower, or 2.5%, 23,650.44. The S&P 500 slid 1.8% to 2,823.16. The Nasdaq Composite pulled back 1% to 8,560.73.

Boeing fell more than 6% to lead the Dow lower while Chevron and Exxon Mobil dropped more than 4% each. Energy, real estate and utilities were the worst-performing sectors in the S&P 500, falling more than 3% each.

The May contract for West Texas Intermediate, which expires on Tuesday, plunged more than 100% to settle at negative $37.63 per barrel, a bizarre move tied to weak demand outlook and storage capacity issues.

The negative impact on stocks from oil likely would have been worse were it not for lesser declines in oil contracts expiring during future months. WTI’s June contract slid over 15.6% to $21.09 per barrel. July’s oil contract was down 6.9%. It was a strange phenomenon that analysts chalked up to the collapse in demand for oil contracts expiring this week. Refineries don’t need the oil and are near storage capacity with most of the country shut down. The negative price means producers will pay to take this oil off their hands. (Read more from “Dow Drops More Than 500 Points to Start the Week After Historic Oil Plunge” HERE)

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Oil Crashes 305% to -$36.73 a Barrel

By Fox Business. U.S. oil prices plummeted in historic fashion Monday, crashing below zero as traders unloaded positions ahead of the May contract’s Tuesday expiration.

West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures for May delivery cratered by 305 percent to -$36.73 a barrel. At a price below zero, buyers would be paid to take delivery as there are costs associated with transportation and storage. The selling had WTI on track to close at its lowest level since recordkeeping began in March 1983, according to Dow Jones Market Data. . .

The May contract is a “horror show” and “heading into the worst delivery situation in history,” Phil Flynn, senior market analyst at Price Group Futures, told FOX Business. “With demand still dead and OPEC+ cuts not hitting fast enough, the market looks like it has no bottom.”

Demand for crude oil is projected to fall by 29 million barrels per day this month, according to the International Energy Administration, as COVID-19 has forced countries around the world to issue “stay-at-home” orders to slow the spread of the disease. Lower economic activity means weaker demand for crude oil and its byproducts, including gasoline and jet fuel. (Read more from “Oil Crashes 305% to -$36.73 a Barrel” HERE)

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