Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Crude Oil Falls as Dollar Strengthens, U.S. Inventories Forecast to Gain


Crude oil fell in New York on concern China may step up efforts to curb credit growth and on a forecast stockpiles in the U.S. will increase. Oil also pared some of yesterday’s gains as the dollar strengthened against the euro, reducing the appeal of commodities as investments. Chinese regulators asked some of the nation’s banks to limit lending after banks lent a record 9.59 trillion yuan last year and stocks surged. U.S. crude inventories probably climbed for a third week through Jan. 15, according to a Bloomberg News survey before an Energy Department report tomorrow.

“The speculation in stocks spooked the Chinese government, they don’t want to create a bubble,” said Gordon Kwan, head of regional energy research at Mirae Asset Securities Ltd. in Hong Kong. “Oil price will drift between $78 and $82. If the dollar continues to rise, it will have an impact on oil in the second quarter.” Crude oil for February delivery fell as much as 65 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $78.37 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and traded at $78.38 at 1:06 p.m. Singapore time. February futures expire today. The more-active March contract declined 63 cents, or 0.8 percent, to $78.69.

Yesterday, the February contract gained $1.02, or 1.3 percent, to settle at $79.02 a barrel. Trades were combined with those from Jan. 18 because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in the U.S. The dollar climbed to $1.4214 per euro as of 1:05 p.m. in Tokyo from $1.4288 yesterday in New York. It earlier strengthened to $1.4188, the highest level since Sept. 1.....Read the entire article.

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