Rigzone: Crude Rises On Host Of Positive Economic News

Crude oil futures rose in volatile early trading Thursday on a host of bullish economic news, including a drop in initial jobless claims, an increase in business productivity and a European interest rate cut.

Light, sweet crude for December delivery was up $1.49, or 1.6%, at $94.00 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude on the ICE Futures Europe exchange was up $1.28, or 1.2%, at $110.62 a barrel.

The U.S. said initial jobless claims fell 9,000, to 397,000 in the week ended Oct. 29, slightly lower than analyst expectations of 400,000. Productivity for the quarter was up 3.1% at an annualized rate, and the ECB reduced interest rates by a 0.25 percentage point to 1.25%.

Summit Energy analyst Matt Smith called the European Central Bank's move an "absolutely fabulous curveball" and said it would likely be good for oil prices. "It shows that the ECB not only acknowledges the frailty of the region's economy, but is willing to take whatever steps needed to promote stability," he said in a note......Read the entire Rigzone article.


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Oil Rises From a Two Week Low as U.S., China Manufacturing Expand

Crude oil rose from a two week low as manufacturing expanded in the U.S. and China in October, signaling energy demand is increasing in the world’s two biggest oil consuming countries. Oil gained as the Institute for Supply Management said U.S. manufacturing grew at the fastest pace in more than three years. Chinese manufacturing climbed to the highest level in 18 months, according to a purchasing managers’ index from HSBC Holdings Plc today and a government backed index issued yesterday.

“It’s a great indication that the industrial component of these economies, which is the energy intensive component, is doing better than it was,” said Brad Samples, a commodity analyst for Summit Energy Inc. in Louisville, Kentucky. “As opposed to the trend last year when it was falling, now it’s rising.” Crude oil for December delivery climbed $1.28, or 1.7 percent, to $78.28 a barrel at 11:23 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Earlier, it touched $78.38 a barrel. Futures lost 4.4 percent last week, the first pullback in a month.....Read the entire article.