Crude oil prices were on the climb today, set for a weekly gain on signs of strong demand coming from economic reports in key markets.
If the week does end with an overall gain, it would be the first one in three weeks, according to Reuters.
“WTI crude oil prices seem to have found a near-term floor/support at around US$78.40/barrel after a 9%+ decline from 26 April in the past week due to several encouraging factors such as two consecutive weeks of decline in U.S. crude oil stockpile and more upcoming ‘piecemeal’ stimulus measures from China,” OANDA analyst Kelvin Wong told the publication.
In the United States, meanwhile, the latest inflation report showed a smaller-than-expected increase in consumer prices, boosting expectations of rate cuts and supporting oil prices. At 3.4%, the annual rate of inflation was still considerable but on a monthly basis the rise was 0.3% rather than the 0.4% analysts had predicted, spurring optimism. Two consecutive weeks of crude oil inventory declines, as reported by the Energy Information Administration also helped prices.
Meanwhile, the International Energy Agency revised its forecast for global oil demand down, just days after its head, Fatih Birol called on OPEC+ to be careful about withholding supply because a deficit would fuel global inflation.
In its latest monthly report, the IEA revised its demand outlook by 140,000 barrels daily, to a total 1.1 million bpd in new demand this year. The agency cited weak demand in developed countries.