Sign o' the times

摘要

The oil market is impatient for some hard numbers to trade around"Sign o' the times mess with your mind,hurry before it's too late,"sings Prince Crude is moving in a wide range around 60/bl,without clear direction Opinion is divided about the state of the global economy - especially the US outlook - the key factor that will move pricesThe stock market performance suggests robust growth,but many analysts forecast a marked slowdown The economy helps determine growth in transport fuel demand - a crucial factor in keeping oil prices high or rising In the absence of clear signals about the direction of economic growth,the market wants other indicators but finds few Chinese demand data are notoriously prone to unpredictable swings(see p3)US demand data now share this dubious distinction,as annual revisions in the official statistics cast doubt on weekly and monthly growth figures(see p20)