West Texas Intermediate crude fell for a fifth day, the longest stretch of declines since December, as better-than-expected U.S. jobless claims raised concern that the Federal Reserve will trim stimulus measures.

Prices dropped as much as 2 percent. About 333,000 American workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, below the 335,000 estimate by economists in a survey. The Fed may begin curbing bond purchases in September, Fed Bank of Chicago President Charles Evans said Aug. 6. U.S. crude output jumped last week to the highest level since 1989, government data showed yesterday.

WTI for September delivery slid $1.89, or 1.8 percent, to $102.48 a barrel at 10:39 a.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The volume of all futures traded was 6 percent above the 100-day average. Prices last slid for five consecutive days in the period ended Dec. 10.

Brent for September settlement slipped $1.36, or 1.3 percent, to $106.08 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange. Volume was 1 percent lower than the 100-day average.

Gold prices have won back the losses incurred earlier in the session, due to the weak dollar and short covering.

Prices rise a second day after falling to a three-week low on Wednesday morning, prompting fears that the Fed will reduce incentives in September.

The dollar to a basket of world currencies is close to a minimum of seven weeks due to investor uncertainty in terms of reducing the incentive program the Fed. The president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Sandra Pianalto said on Wednesday that the central bank is ready to reduce the volume of buying up assets, if the situation on the labor market will continue to improve.

Posted on Thursday, a report showed that in the U.S. the number of Americans who first filled the application form for unemployment benefit, was the week of August 3, 333 thousand vs. 336 thousand Repeated applications for benefits for the week of July 27 has also increased to 3,018 million . vs. 2.950 million

Decline in gold prices earlier in the week caused a rise in interest from buyers in China, which this year may overtake India as the world's largest consumer of gold.

The cost of the October gold futures on COMEX today rose to $ 1307.80 per ounce.

Change % Change Last

GOLD 1,286.10 2.90 0.23%

OIL (WTI) 104.17 -1.13 -1.07%