May 17, 2026

Energy observation heading into the week

Explore expert insights, strategic thinking, and real-world advice in our blog.
Share Now:

Bloomberg: The US and Iran remained far apart Sunday on a deal to end weeks of war and reopen the crucial Strait of Hormuz, as a drone attack sparked a fire at a United Arab Emirates nuclear plant, spotlighting the risks of a fragile ceasefire.

It is important to understand where WTI positioning is at the moment heading into this week. Positioning across the Energy complex moved modestly lower week-over-week, with WTI now only narrowly holding within the upper quartile. Net selling in WTI has occurred in six of the past seven weeks, leaving positioning near what increasingly looks like a meaningful inflection point. If this positioning cadence persists, it would likely begin to weigh on the underlying itself despite the recent resilience in price action. Importantly, Energy has also relinquished the top spot in the Offsides Macro Narrative Tracker, suggesting the narrative backdrop may be losing some momentum at the margin. Anecdotally, it remains difficult to find — or even hear — anyone meaningfully leaning bearish WTI at current levels.

Stay current on weekly positioning reports, regime shifts, and updated data across equities, rates, FX, and commodities.
All rights reserved. RBJR LLC 2026
  • Based In North Carolina
Disclaimer: This publication is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not investment advice, does not take into account individual circumstances, and should not be relied upon for making investment decisions. The views expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of any employer or affiliated institution.
Two weeks of the Basic Plan, the weekly Positioning Report and the Asset-Class Matrix.

Stay Current on Positioning Intelligence

Sign up to receive Rick's weekly reports and updated positioning data straight to your inbox.
Fill out the form for complimentary access to the Offsides Macro Positioning Suite, including the weekly macro deck and the full interactive positioning analytics dashboard. Foundational access period. This will transition to subscriber access.