West Texas
Intermediate crude climbed for the first time in five days after
Futures
gained as much as 1.9 percent and equities surged as the Conference Board’s
index of sentiment rose to
The
confidence total from the Conference Board, a New York-based private research
group, exceeded the highest estimate in a survey of economists. The median
forecast called for an increase to 71.2.
The
S&P/Case-Shiller housing index was projected to show a 10.2 percent
advance, according to the median forecast of 30 economists.
WTI crude
for July delivery rose $1.20, or 1.3 percent, to $95.35 a barrel at 11:03 a.m.
on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The volume of all contracts traded was 5.4
percent above the 100-day average for this time of day. Floor trading was
closed yesterday because of the Memorial Day holiday, and yesterday’s
electronic transactions will be booked with today’s trades for settlement
purposes.
Brent oil
for July settlement increased $1.68, or 1.6 percent, to $104.30 a barrel on the
ICE Futures Europe exchange. Volume for all contracts was 20 percent lower than
the 100-day average. The European benchmark grade traded at an $8.95 premium to
WTI.