Question on WTI Contango/Backwardation for short-term swing trades

asked by u/vikrammehta · 14d · 1 answers

Been looking into the dynamics of the WTI futures curve lately, specifically how contango and backwardation affect potential swing trades. I understand the basics – contango means higher prices further out, backwardation is the opposite, often signaling supply concerns. My question is more practical: for those of you actively swing trading $WTI, how much weight do you give the current curve structure when planning your entries/exits? Is it more of a macro signal you check occasionally, or do you integrate it directly into your daily bias, perhaps affecting your conviction on a long/short setup? Seems like a crucial piece, but I'm trying to figure out its actual utility for shorter timeframes.

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  • u/hugo.weber· 5 pts· 14d

    That's a good question. For short-term swings, I tend to look at the immediate front months more than the deeper curve, but backwardation can definitely give an extra psychological boost to the bull case.

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