Oil Crash Sends Speculators Fleeing at Fastest Pace in Six Weeks

  • Declining liquidity will likely drive more volatility
  • New York crude futures briefly hit lowest level since 2021

An oil pump jack in Midland, Texas, US.

Photographer: Sergio Flores/Bloomberg
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Speculators are once again fleeing the oil market, setting the stage for more extreme price swings.

Money managers dumped their net-bullish oil holdings by 19%, the biggest drop in six weeks. The positions are now at the lowest seasonal level in more than a decade.