Bloomberg:Crude Oil Trades Near Two Year High, RSI Signals Reversal

Crude oil traded near its highest level in two years in New York as the dollar headed for a weekly decline against most major counterparts after the Federal Reserve’s decision to purchase more debt to boost the U.S. economy.

Crude’s 6.6 percent rally this week, driven by the dollar’s decline, may be about to end, according to a technical indicator used by traders. The U.S. currency has fallen versus all but one of its 16 most traded peers since the Fed said Nov. 3 it will buy about $75 billion of Treasuries every month through June.

“Underlying demand in the industrialized world is still not enough to justify these price levels,” said Eugen Weinberg, head of commodity research at Commerzbank AG. “But market sentiment is so strong that if the weakness of the dollar persists I couldn’t rule out higher prices.”

Oil for December delivery traded at $86.83 a barrel, up 34 cents, in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 12:51 p.m. London time. The contract earlier rose to $87.22, the highest price since Oct. 9, 2008. Brent crude for December settlement rose 16 cents to $88.16 after advancing to $88.80 a barrel on the ICE Futures Europe exchange in London.

Futures advanced after a U.S. government report showed payrolls rose more than forecast in October. Payrolls climbed 151,000, exceeding the median estimate of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News and following a revised 41,000 drop the prior month that was smaller than initially estimated, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The jobless rate held at 9.6 percent, in line with forecasts. Crude oil's relative strength index......Read the entire article.


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Oil Rises to Two Week High as Jobless Claims Drop, Dollar Falls

Crude oil rose to a two week high as the number of Americans filing jobless claims dropped and the dollar declined, bolstering the appeal of commodities as an inflation hedge. Oil climbed as much as 4.3 percent as Labor Department data showed that initial applications for unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level since January. Gold increased to a record for a third day and other raw material prices gained as the U.S. currency declined to a two week low against the euro.

“Crude oil is tracking the behavior of other markets,” said Bill O’Grady, chief market strategist at Confluence Investment Management in St. Louis. “The jobs number was good. The recession is probably over and employment is a lagging indicator.” Crude oil for November delivery climbed $2.80, or 4 percent, to $72.37 a barrel at 12:38 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Futures touched $72.55, the highest since Sept. 18. Oil has traded between.....read the entire article

Oil Retreats on Greater Than Anticipated U.S. Jobless Claims

Crude oil retreated after more Americans than anticipated filed claims for jobless benefits last week, spurring skepticism about the strength of the recovery from the country’s worst recession since the 1930s. Oil futures dropped more than $1 from the day’s highs after the Labor Department reported that applications for jobless benefits fell by 4,000 to 570,000 in the week ended Aug. 29, exceeding the 564,000 median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. Crude advanced earlier as the Shanghai Composite Index climbed 4.8 percent, the most since March 4. “The oil market is taking its direction from what happens with equities,” said Addison Armstrong, director of market research at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut.....Read the complete article

N.Y. Natural Gas Rises as Unemployment Drop May Signal Recovery

Natural gas rose in New York, heading for the third weekly gain in four weeks, after a drop in the U.S. unemployment rate signaled that demand may soon recover from the worst economic slump since the Great Depression. Gas rose after the jobless rate fell for the first time since April 2008, a Labor Department report today showed. Factory payrolls fell 52,000, the fewest in a year. Industrial users account for about 29 percent of U.S. gas demand.....Complete Story

Oil and Gasoline Surge as Corporate Earnings Boost Confidence

Crude oil rose more than $3 a barrel and gasoline surged the most in four months after better than expected corporate earnings and as jobless claims held below late June levels. Oil gained as much as 4.9 percent as stocks advanced on increased optimism that the economic decline will ease. The number of people collecting unemployment insurance decreased for a third week, according to the Labor Department. A U.S. report yesterday showed that crude supplies unexpectedly climbed as demand lagged behind year earlier levels. “More people think the economy has bottomed and are buying equities and commodities as a result”.....Complete Story

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Crude Oil Closes Lower On Unemployment Concerns

"Oil Drops On Concern U.S. Unemployment Will Erode Fuel Demand"
Crude oil dropped after a report showed the U.S. jobless rate at a 25-year high, adding to concern fuel demand will slide further. Oil fell as much as 3.1 percent after the Labor Department said the economy lost more than 650,000 jobs for a fourth consecutive month. Total daily fuel demand averaged over the past four weeks reached the lowest since October, the Energy Department said April 1.....Complete Story