Crude oil tumbled the most in six months as the dollar gained and a drop in stocks bolstered skepticism that the economic recovery will be sustained. Oil fell as much as 5.4 percent as the greenback climbed versus the euro, curbing the appeal of commodities as an alternate investment. The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index dropped after more Americans filed first time claims for unemployment insurance last week, raising concern that an improvement in the job market is stalling.
“Oil is down because of the dollar’s strength and the poor fortunes of the S&P, especially after the jobs report,” said Addison Armstrong, director of market research at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut. “The whole commodity sector is looking weak today.” Crude oil for March delivery fell $3.83, or 5 percent, to $73.15 a barrel at 11:49 a.m. New York time. Oil declined as much as $4.12 to $72.86, and is heading for the biggest daily drop since July 29. Prices are up 81 percent from a year ago.
“Everything on the screen is red because of negative economic news,” said Chip Hodge, who oversees a $9 billion natural resource bond portfolio as senior managing director at MFC Global Investment Management in Boston. “Unless the economy rebounds, prices should move in one direction, south.” The dollar climbed to the highest level against the euro since May after European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet said the economic outlook is subject to “uncertainty.”
The dollar traded at $1.3745 per euro, up from $1.3893 yesterday. It traded earlier at $1.3728, the highest level since May 21.
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