Oil's Powerful Spike - Market Analysis for Feb 23rd, 2011

Crude oil's upside pivot reversal off of last week's low at $83.85 has morphed into a powerful spike that has climbed above the prior high of $92.84 to a new, post-Dec 2008 high at $99.94 today.

The explosive upmove has blown through key resistance at $90.15 -- the 50% resistance plateau of the huge $114.87/bbl bear market from July 2007 to Dec 2008. It has hurdled key multi-week resistance at $92.30/90 into what looks like a vicious new upleg that could be heading for a confrontation with the upper channel resistance line, now up near $110.50 to $113.00.

At this juncture, only a major downside reversal that breaks and sustains beneath $92.00 will begin to compromise the developing vertical surge in oil prices and the U.S. Oil Trust ETF (USO).