Petroleum oil tankers and related shipping industry exchange traded fund plunged Monday as oil prices slide to a five-year low.
The Guggenheim Shipping ETF (NYSEArca: SEA) fell 4.4% Monday. SEA has declined 16.5% over the past three months.
Shipping stocks sank Monday as West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures dipped to $63.3 per barrel and Brent crude oil futures fell to $66.4 per barrel, a five-year low.
Oil prices are falling on concerns that Hedge funds and other money managers may have bet too much on rising prices, reports Rupert Rowling for Bloomberg.
“The near-term risk is for additional long-liquidation,” Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank A/S, said in the Bloomberg article. “The belief is spreading that we could hit $60 or even lower before this stabilizes.”
Consequently, the low oil prices and energy sector slump are dragging on shipping stocks, according to TradeWinds.
Notably, Knightsbridge Shipping Limited (NasdaqGS: VLCCF) plummeted 11.4% Monday. Ship Finance International (NYSE: SFL), which is exposed to dry bulk, rigs, offshore vessels and other related sectors, decreased 11.1% Monday. SEA includes a 1.2% weight toward VLCCF and 3.4% to SFL.