What I am getting at is that the settlement price is just an arbitrary number the exchange must use to "settle" outstanding transactions in the queue. They had to come up with some way to do it, so that is it. There may be deeper reasons for the particular times the exchanges choose for their "settlements", but future price action cannot be a result of that. The settlement prices must deal with the invigorating machinations of the futures markets, and cannot have a bearing on the future.
Remember, settlement of a futures instrument does not equal close of that instrument.
Just follow price action on the charts, you'll see.