Reader TTS

The recent rally in the energy space is not sustainable, according to technical analyst Todd Gordon.

On CNBC's "Trading Nation" Wednesday, the founder of TradingAnalysis.com said a divergence in the chart of crude versus energy stocks leads him to believe a breakdown may be in the works.

"At the lows [in January and February] you can see that the energy ETF, the XLE, made a higher low while crude oil made a lower low. This tells me that crude oil has made a new low and is

likely to roll back over which, as history indicates, is likely to lead energy lower," said Gordon.

Oil has rallied more than 45 percent from its Feb. 11 low of $26, while energy stocks are up 17 percent in the same period.

Looking at a stand-alone chart of the energy ETF, Gordon noted that the XLE has rallied to a critical point of resistance. To find this resistance, Gordon measured the distance that the XLE

traveled from its previous low to high and projected it to the current move, which resulted in near-perfect symmetry.

"All we need to do is wait for crude oil to begin to move to the downside. I think it's the time to move into a short position," said Gordon, who correctly called for a drop to $26 in oil

earlier this year. "I'm just going to look to catch the initial push down here," he added.

To play for a move lower in the energy space, Gordon looked to the options market. Specifically, he purchased the April 60/55 put spread for $1.80. This is a bearish strategy where a trader

will buy a put and then sell a lower strike put to offset the cost.

The goal is for the stock to move to the strike you are short, or in this case $55 in the next month. That's a nearly 10 percent move lower from where the ETF is currently trading at around

$61.

Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox

Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services.

© 2025 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved. A Division of NBCUniversal