Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Search
Search:
Oil ends week on a flat note as OPEC gathers
By JOHN PORRETTO,AP Energy Writer AP - Saturday, November 29
HOUSTON - Oil prices ended flat Friday with OPEC officials sending mixed messages about a production cut before a regularly scheduled meeting in December.
Meanwhile, gasoline prices continued their free fall and are now at levels not seen since Jan. 21, 2005 _ good news for travelers heading home after Thanksgiving getaways.
Pump prices fell a penny overnight to a national average of $1.835 for regular unleaded, according to auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express.
The average national price has fallen 75 cents in the past month alone and is down 41 percent from the $3.09 retailers were getting on average a year ago.
After tumbling earlier in the day during an abbreviated session on the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude for January delivery settled down a penny at $54.43.
Yet for most of the day, trading at Nymex was as volatile as it had been for the entire week, save for Thursday when the market was closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Crude jumped 9 percent Monday, fell 7 percent Tuesday, and rose more than 7 percent Wednesday. The week has been marked by light trading, which tends to be more volatile.
For the week, crude was up about 9 percent from the settlement price last Friday.
"We were a little overcooked earlier this week, so it looks like we're going to give some of it back today," said Jim Ritterbusch, president of energy consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates.
Oil prices fluctuated between $50 and $55 this week, pausing after a fall of more than 60 percent since reaching a record $147.27 in mid-July.
Grim economic data this week pointing to a severe recession in the U.S. in the fourth quarter and signs of slowing growth around the world kept prices from rebounding further.
"The drop-off in demand is going to continue," said Jonathan Kornafel, Asia director at market maker Hudson Capital Energy in Singapore. "There's no reason for the market to rally."
Oil will likely trade below $50 a barrel and could test the $40 level by the end of the year, Kornafel said.
Investors will be watching whether the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries reduces output quotas at an informal meeting Saturday in Cairo, Egypt.
OPEC oil ministers on Friday downplayed expectations of, but didn't dismiss outright, an immediate output cut.
"I don't expect a cut out of the Cairo meeting, but I do expect a 1.5 million barrel cut at their December meeting," Kornafel said. "I wouldn't be surprised to see Russia get in with OPEC either."
Energy analyst Catherine Hunter at IHS Global Insight in London said chances for the implementation before January of further output cuts by OPEC were slim, because of advance sales allocations by several members.
"This makes the meeting more about New Year's resolutions, rather than the immediate present, whatever the rhetoric surrounding Saturday's event," Hunter said in a report.
In other Nymex trading, gasoline futures for January rose less than a penny to settle at $1.2096. Heating oil dropped 3.335 cents to $1.7271 a gallon while natural gas for January delivery fell 36.8 cents to settle at $6.51 per 1,000 cubic feet.
In London, January Brent crude rose 36 cents to settle at $53.49 on the ICE Futures exchange.
___
Associated Press writers Pablo Gorondi in Budapest, Hungary, and Alex Kennedy in Singapore contributed to this report.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: Oil Price Hike
OPEC struggles to find balance in oil marketAP - Saturday, November 29
Oil ends week on a flat note as OPEC gathersAP - Saturday, November 29
OPEC says oil stocks high but might delay cut until DecemberAFP - Saturday, November 29
Slight fall for oil in quiet Asian tradeAFP - Friday, November 28
Related Articles: Business
FDA defends U.S. infant formula; sets safe levelReuters - 47 minutes ago
FDA sets safe level for infant formula contaminantAP - 1 hour 23 minutes ago
Treasurys end month with yields near record lowsAP - 1 hour 24 minutes ago
Black Friday: Not a predictor but a barometerAP - 2 hours 13 minutes ago
Stocks end short session with 5th straight gainAP - 2 hours 13 minutes ago
Related Full Coverage
oil price hike
oil price hike
All Full Coverage
Most Popular – Business
Viewed
US clears Bank of America deal for Merrill Lynch
US president's mother 'doing very well' in hospital: Laura Bush
Love handles increase death risk: study
Michael Jackson strikes 'amicable' deal with Arab sheikh
Obama vows 'help is on the way' for the economy
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular