West Texas Intermediate crude rose from a two-week low as the fewest U.S. workers in more than five years applied for unemployment benefits over the past month, bolstering optimism that fuel demand will accelerate.

Prices gained as claims in the month ended Aug. 17 declined to 330,500 a week on average, the least since November 2007, the Labor Department reported. Chinese manufacturing resumed expansion and output at European factories improved. WTI dropped earlier as the Federal Reserve signaled a likely reduction in economic stimulus this year.

WTI for October delivery rose 52 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $104.37 a barrel at 10:34 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The volume of all futures traded was 22 percent below the 100-day average. The contract fell to $103.85 yesterday, the lowest close since Aug. 8.

Brent for October settlement increased 19 cents to $110 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Volume was 28 percent below 100-day average. The European benchmark was at a premium of $5.63 to WTI. The spread was $5.96 yesterday, the widest since June 26.