• Natural Gas keeps its head above $2.30 after last week’s rally. 
• Markets see Europe cutting demand, while tensions in Gaza ramp up again. 
• The US Dollar index holds steady just below key level ahead of ISM Manufacturing numbers. 

Natural Gas is trading near $2.32 with some bearish and bullish elements in play, keeping Natural Gas prices rather stable. The bullish elements are coming from tensions in the Middle East, where Israeli people are starting to question the approach from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and demand a swift ceasefire and peace deal to get hostages return safely. On the other side, bearish news comes out from Europe with Gas storages near full ahead of the next heating season and the German car industry struggling. 

Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback's value against six major currencies, is holding on to its recovery taking place last week. Markets got wrong-footed after the Jackson Hole speech from US Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, going all in that a September rate cut might be bigger than 25 basis points. Recent US data shows that even a 25 basis points rate cut starts to get doubted, with the Nonfarm Payrolls report on Friday to be a key data point to confirm how big that September rate cut will be.