Hedge funds increased their bearish bets against gasoline prices to the highest in seven years after this year’s summer driving season has delivered only tepid demand so far.
Money managers’ short-only positions in gasoline rose by 5,093 lots to 36,729 lots in the week ended July 2, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. That’s the highest since July 2017.
Consumption of the fuel during the North American summer driving season has been lackluster. Gasoline inventories expanded by the most since January, according to the Energy Information Administration’s June 26 report. Fuel demand on a four-week basis fell for the first time in two months over the period.
Data for the July 4 holiday have yet to be released. The American Automobile Association predicted that about 71 million Americans would travel over Independence Day.
Despite the sluggish forecast for fuel, crude rallied over the week ending July 2, hitting two-month highs on risks from Hurricane Beryl and rising tensions in the Middle East and Europe. Money managers increased their net bullish position on West Texas Intermediate by 13,265 lots to 249,081, the biggest since October.
Elsewhere, Wells Fargo Advisors adds a $400 million Morgan Stanley veteran in Naples as an ex-Cetera advisor goes independent with LPL
According to a federal charges Bradley Heppner, 60, received more than $150 million in payments through funneling money from GWG Holdings to a shell company.
A $1B fund allegedly skimmed 30% off the top, then swapped cash for locked-up stock.
Insiders allegedly rewrote projections three times in four days.
TCI Wealth Advisors also has also tapped JIFFYAI to unify onboarding and servicing, while TradePMR adds ICE market data to its Fusion advisor platform
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