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Oil Gains Toward $75 With Markets Rallying After Fed Cuts Rates - BLOOMBERG
(Bloomberg) -- Oil advanced as a risk-on tone swept across wider financial markets following the steep interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve.
Brent futures climbed toward $75 a barrel after closing little changed on Wednesday, while West Texas Intermediate was above $71. European stock futures gained alongside Asian equities as the Fed’s move reinforced expectations that the US economy will avoid a downturn.
“In the oil market, the softer monetary policy outlook has fostered expectations of stronger future demand, supporting a more likely bullish outlook for crude prices further out,” SEB analyst Ole Hvalbye said in a note. “The move, driven by progress in managing inflation, reflects the Fed’s shift in focus towards supporting the labor market and the broader economy.”
Investors are closely watching developments in the Middle East after Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared what he called a “new phase” in the war with regional Islamist groups. That’s raised fears about a wider conflict that could involve Iran, an OPEC producer.
Brent is still on track for a quarterly loss on concerns over China’s economic slowdown and ample supply. A measure of US gasoline demand fell further below 9 million barrels while jet fuel consumption ebbed for a third straight week, according to government data, adding to bearish headwinds.
Shrinking US inventories could underpin further price gains. Crude stockpiles at the key storage hub at Cushing, Oklahoma, are significantly lower than the five-year seasonal average and close to what’s considered “tank bottom” levels, according to EIA data.
