MARKETWIRE ALERTS

MARKETWIRE ALERTS 

MarketWire Afternoon News for January 13:

Updated at 5:30 PM ET 

HEADLINES:

– API: Gasoline, Distillate Stocks Post 9-Week Rise, Crude Up

– EIA: STEO Sees Brent $56 bbl, WTI $52 bbl in 2026

 – STEO: EIA Revises Henry Hub Spot Price Down 22% From Dec. 

– API: U.S. Must Be Nimble to Lead ‘Demand Decade’ in Energy

– EIA: U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices Fall 8th Straight Week

– EIA: U.S. Retail Diesel Prices Down 1.8cts on Week

-Dec. US CPI Flat at 2.7% on Yr; Gasoline Index Down

NEWS:

API: Gasoline, Distillate Stocks Post 9-Week Rise, Crude Up

DAVENPORT, FL (DTN) – U.S. crude oil stockpiles increased for a second straight week, while gasoline and distillate inventories recorded a ninth weekly build, according to inventory data released by the American Petroleum Institute (API) on Tuesday (1/13).

U.S. commercial crude oil stocks rose by 5.27 million bbl during the week, more than three times the 1.7 million bbl  reported the previous week.

The crude inventory build for the profiled week was accompanied by a 945,000 bbl rise at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery point for NYMEX West Texas Intermediate futures, following an 800,000 bbl increase recorded the prior week.

Gasoline inventories surged by 8.23 million bbl, sharply accelerating from the 6.2 million bbl build reported a week earlier.

Distillate fuel oil stocks posted a fourfold weekly increase, rising by 4.34 million bbl, compared with a 1 million bbl increase last week. 

EIA: STEO Sees Brent $56 bbl, WTI $52 bbl in 2026

Global oil prices are expected to drop through 2027 as production outpaces demand, with benchmark Brent crude forecast to average $56 bbl this year and $54 bbl next versus last year’s $69 bbl, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in its Short-Term Energy Outlook released Tuesday (1/13).

A similar scale of decline was expected in U.S. crude, with WTI forecast to drop to $52 bbl this year and $50 bbl next, against the 2025 average of $65 bbl.

The EIA expects global production of liquid fuels to increase by 1.4 million bpd this year and 0.5 million bpd in 2027. This year’s growth is expected to be driven by OPEC+ output while that for next year will be led by production outside of OPEC+, primarily by South American countries.

Meanwhile, U.S. output is expected to taper by 1% this year and by 2% in 2027 from the record high of 13.6 million bpd averaged last year.

“With sustained lower crude oil prices, we expect crude oil production will decrease as the slowdown in drilling activity will outpace increases in drilling productivity,” the EIA added.

U.S. fuel prices are expected to decline too, in line with the projected drop in crude prices. Retail gasoline is forecast to average $2.90 gallon this year and next, nearly 20cts lower than last year’s average.

STEO: EIA Revises Henry Hub Spot Price Down 22% From Dec. 

The Energy Information Administration lowered on Tuesday (1/13) its near-term natural gas price forecast on expectations that milder winter temperatures and weaker space-heating demand will limit consumption during the seasonal peak, according to its Short-Term Energy Outlook released in January.
The Henry Hub spot price is now forecast to average $3.38 MMBtu in the first quarter of 2026, down 22% from the December STEO estimate of $4.35/MMBtu, the agency said. The revision reflects reduced winter demand after January temperatures came in milder than normal, easing pressure on U.S. benchmark prices.
On an annual basis, EIA expects Henry Hub prices to average just under $3.50/MMBtu in 2026, about 2% lower than 2025, before climbing roughly 33% in 2027 to an annual average near $4.60/MMBtu as market conditions tighten. The agency noted that prices fell sharply in early January, with Henry Hub trading below $3/MMBtu on January 9, down from around $5/MMBtu a month earlier.
“Our lower first-quarter price forecast reflects reduced space-heating demand driven by milder-than-normal winter temperatures,” the STEO report said, adding that near-term demand weakness has allowed prices to retreat despite continued growth in consumption later in the forecast period.
EIA said upward price pressure is expected to return in 2027 as demand growth outpaces supply. Expanding U.S. liquefied natural gas export capacity and rising natural gas use in the electric power sector are forecast to tighten balances, pushing storage inventories below the five-year (2021–25) average.
U.S. dry natural gas production is expected to increase by 1% in 2026 to nearly 109 Bcf/d, with growth led by the Permian Basin as new takeaway capacity comes online, particularly in the second half of the year. In 2027, production growth slows to about 1%, as activity shifts toward the Haynesville region in response to higher prices.
Total U.S. natural gas demand, including exports, is forecast to grow by 2% in 2027, reaching 119 Bcf/d, more than 1 Bcf/d above total supply, contributing to tighter market balances that support higher prices later in the outlook. 

LNG exports are projected to remain the largest source of demand growth, supported by the continued ramp-up of Plaquemines LNG, Corpus Christi Stage 3, and the start of operations at Golden Pass LNG in mid-2026, the EIA stated.

API: U.S. Must Be Nimble to Lead ‘Demand Decade’ in Energy

Global energy markets are entering a definitive “demand decade” requiring historical output for new technological and economic needs, with the U.S. particularly needing enduring policy and investments to stay atop the game, the American Petroleum Institute (API) said Tuesday (1/13).

“The United States is the world’s energy superpower – but that status isn’t guaranteed,” API President Mike Sommers said in a speech to the group’s members outlining the group’s 2026 agenda.

To preserve its position, the U.S., which produces a record high of above 13 million bpd, needs to lead with energy infrastructure, access and international competitiveness, he said. “Across all three, the priority is the same: durable policy that outlasts political cycles and supports long-term investment, reliability, and growth.”

The overhaul of federal laws to speed up drilling permits would be the “hinge point” of future demand, Sommers said, citing upstream activity often hampered by red tape and lawsuits.

Even with the U.S. in control now of Venezuelan oil, turning the gigantic reserves there into barrels will depend less on expertise and geology than stable governance, rule of law, operational security, physical safety and long-term investment certainty, Sommers added.

 EIA: U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices Fall 8th Straight Week

The national average for retail regular gasoline declined for an eighth consecutive week in the week ended January 12, as prices continued to ease during what is typically the seasonal low point for U.S. driving demand, data from the Energy Information Administration reported Tuesday (1/13).
The U.S. average for regular gasoline decreased by 1.7cts to $2.779 gallon last week, extending the downward trend and leaving prices 26.4cts lower than the same week last year, the EIA’s weekly update on fuel pricing showed.
East Coast (PADD 1) gasoline slipped by 3.7cts to $2.741 gallon in the week ended January 12, and was 25.7cts lower than the same period last year.
Within the East Coast, New England (PADD 1A) prices declined by 2.6cts to $2.822 gallon week over week and were 13.7cts lower than the same time last year.
Central Atlantic (PADD 1B) gasoline prices fell by 1.9cts to $2.901 gallon last week, and were 21.6cts under the corresponding week of last year.
Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C) gasoline prices dropped by 5.1cts to $2.621 gallon in the profiled week and were 31.1cts lower year over year.
Midwest (PADD 2) gasoline prices rose by 1.9cts to $2.604 gallon, but values remained 29.5cts below the same period last year.
Gulf Coast (PADD 3) gasoline prices edged up by 0.3ct to $2.375 gallon, while staying 29cts lower than the comparable week a year ago.
Rocky Mountain (PADD 4) gasoline increased by 1.9cts to $2.422 gallon but remained sharply lower on  the year, with a slide of 45.7cts.
West Coast (PADD 5) gasoline prices declined by 5.9cts to $3.649 gallon in the reference week, standing 16.1cts below the same week last year.
Gasoline prices on the West Coast less California tumbled by 6.3cts to $3.28 gallon and were 14.8cts weaker year over year

EIA: U.S. Retail Diesel Prices Down 1.8cts on Week

The national average weekly price for retail diesel fuel fell by 1.8cts as of Monday (1/12) amid continued declines in all U.S. regions as warmer-than-usual temperatures reduced demand for distillates-based heating, pricing data released Tuesday (1/13) by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed.

The national average for retail diesel fuel stood at $3.459 gallon, after its fifth straight weekly decline. The national average was also down by 14.3cts year-over-year. Only the New England (PADD 1A) region showed higher pricing compared with a year earlier.

A broad jet stream shift has reportedly pulled warm air from the Gulf of Mexico across the Eastern U.S., resulting in daytime temperatures that are 10 to 15 degrees above the seasonal norm. In New York City, for instance, while the historical average high for last week was 37°F, temperatures reached a peak of 53°F on January 9.

The East Coast (PADD 1) saw average diesel prices move lower by 1.7cts to $3.613 gallon as of January 12, and 10.5cts above the same period last year, as colder temperatures began to lift heating oil demand in the region.

Weekly diesel prices in New England (PADD 1A) fell by 1.4cts to $4.010 gallon, while staying up by 18.9cts year-over-year, in a region more directly exposed to winter heating demand that draws from the distillate pool.

In the Central Atlantic (PADD 1B), diesel also slipped by 1.4cts to $3.858 gallon, while standing 1.8cts down on the year.

In the Lower Atlantic (PADD 1C), diesel fell by 1.8cts to $3.484 gallon, and was down by 16.5cts year-over-year.

In the Midwest (PADD 2), diesel prices dropped by 2.2cts to $3.365 gallon and by 16.7cts from the same week last year.

In the Gulf Coast (PADD 3), weekly average diesel prices declined by 1.2cts to $3.16 gallon, while sliding by 16.1cts from a year earlier, supported by ample refining capacity and steady supply.

In the Rocky Mountain region (PADD 4), diesel dropped by 3.7cts to $3.185 gallon, posting the largest weekly declines among all PADD regions. PADD 4 diesel was also 21.4cts below the same period last year.

In the West Coast (PADD 5), weekly average diesel prices fell by 1.8cts to $4.11 gallon, while marking a 10.3cts year-over-year decline.

Diesel prices at West Coast less California decreased by 0.9cts to $3.674 gallon last week. Year-on-year, it was down by 10.2cts.

California diesel prices declined by 2.8cts to $4.613 gallon on the week and was 10.3cts lower on the year.

Dec. US CPI Flat at 2.7% on Yr; Gasoline Index Dn

The U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) grew 2.7% year-on-year in December, unchanged from the prior month and in line with Wall Street economists’ forecasts, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released Tuesday (1/13).

The all-items less food and energy index, so-called core inflation, was also unchanged at 2.6% year-on-year in December, versus economists’ forecast of a 2.7% increase.

The 2.7% annual expansion in headline CPI indicates stabilizing inflation despite U.S. price growth remaining well above the Federal Reserve’s long-term target of 2%. The CPI is one of the indicators the central bank uses for determining interest rates, which it cut three times last year, most recently on December 10.

The Fed’s next rate decision is on January 28, with most economists on Wall Street expecting rates to remain unchanged in a range of between 3.5% to 3.75%. In line with that, the CME FedWatch Tool showed a 95% probability of no change to rates in January.

The CPI data also showed the gasoline sub-index contracting by 0.5% in December after growing 3.0% in November.  For all of 2025, the gasoline index fell 3.4%, the BLS reported. Separately, the American Automobile Association reported a national average gasoline price of $2.89 per gallon in late December, the lowest for a specific month since 2020.

The index for fuel oil, a key source for heating, also dropped in December, down 1.5% from the previous month, but up 7.4% year-on-year. The utility (piped) gas service index jumped by 4.4%.  

Aside from gasoline and fuel oil, the used cars and trucks index was the only subindex registering a decrease last month, with a drop of 1.1%.

Price increases were, meanwhile, almost across the board, with gains in food, new vehicles, apparel, medical care, shelter and transportation.