Futures prices mostly slide as bears outrun bulls at end-week.

摘要

Crude and products futures mostiy slumped in die week to Sept. 3, but saw slight rebounds at mid-week as robust manufacturing data from the US and China stoked risk appetite and smoothed concerns about lackluster oil consumption. The improved economic data and weakness in the US dollar helped offset the bearish crude stockbuild shown in the EIA inventory report on Wednesday. Also, OPEC crude supplies in Aug. to their lowest levels since Nov. 2009 on reduced production from Nigeria, Iraq, and the UAE. Despite the early bullish influences, US crude prices finished lower on Friday as fears eased that Hurricane Earl would disrupt oil refining and drilling operations, akhough Brent crude prices inched up over the week.