COMMODITIES

Oil rose above $57 a barrel on Friday, near a six-month high, lifted by hopes of an economic recovery that could boost falling world oil demand.

Natural gas spot prices rose this week at almost every market location, with increases generally ranging between 10 and 30 cents per million Btu (MMBtu).

Oil prices rose to five month highs above $56 a barrel on Wednesday as a surprise drop in U.S. gasoline inventories and a slowdown in private sector job losses in April boosted hopes for a turnaround in the economy.

Oil settled above $56 a barrel on Wednesday, as a surprise drop in U.S. gasoline and a slowdown in private sector job losses in April boosted hopes for a turnaround in the economy.

Oil rose above $56 a barrel on Wednesday, after news that private sector job losses slowed in April and government data showing an unexpected drawdown in gasoline stocks last week boosted hopes for a turnaround in the economy.

Oil broke through $56 a barrel on Wednesday, bouncing up from early trade around $54 after separate U.S. data releases showed private sector job losses had slowed in April and crude inventories rose only slightly.

Oil rose more than $1 and broke above $55 a barrel on Wednesday, bouncing up from moribund early trade around $54 after data showed U.S. private sector job losses had slowed in April.

Oil held above $54 a barrel on Wednesday, supported by news of an unexpected fall in U.S. crude and gasoline stocks, but gains were limited by persistent uncertainty about any economic recovery.

Oil slipped from its highest price this year near $55 a barrel on Tuesday as bulging oil inventories and falling energy demand outweighed fragile hopes for an economic recovery.

Oil edged up toward $55 a barrel on Tuesday, reaching the highest price of 2009, as rising equities and hopes for an economic recovery countered swelling oil inventories and falling demand.

Oil fell to around $54 a barrel on Tuesday as forecasts that U.S. crude inventories probably rose from their highest level in almost two decades countered optimism about economic recovery.

Oil prices rose to a five-week high near $54 a barrel on Monday on hopes an easing of the global economic recession would pave the way for a recovery in world energy demand.

Oil prices rose to more than a one-month high on Monday on optimism the global economic recession was easing, spelling a potential recovery in world energy demand.

Oil prices rose to a three-week high on Friday, drawing support from improved U.S. consumer confidence and further evidence of record levels of compliance by OPEC with its agreed output cuts.

Oil prices rose on Friday, bouncing from losses earlier in the day, on support from equity markets and as traders sifted through evidence for hints of economic recovery.

Oil rose toward $52 a barrel on Thursday, partly in response to a more optimistic view of the world economy from the U.S. Federal Reserve that also helped drive equity markets to their highest level since early January.

Oil prices climbed toward $51 per barrel on Wednesday, supported by rising stock markets and after the Energy Information Administration reported a big draw in U.S. gasoline inventories.

Oil prices climbed above $50 per barrel on Wednesday, supported by rising stock markets and expectations the U.S. economic slowdown may be less brutal than initially thought.

Oil prices climbed above $50 per barrel on Wednesday, supported by rising stock markets and expectations that the U.S. economic slowdown may be less brutal than initially thought.

Oil prices eased toward $49 a barrel on Tuesday, paring earlier gains after U.S. stock markets rose following encouraging housing and consumer confidence data.

Oil prices fell toward $49 on Tuesday, extending Monday's losses as declines on global stock markets heightened expectations of a further drop in demand for oil products.

British oil major BP Plc said it was learning to live with oil at $50 per barrel by slashing costs, after the crude price collapse sent first-quarter profit plummeting and debt levels higher.

Oil prices extended losses on Tuesday, falling about 2 percent toward $49 a barrel after a report that Citigroup and Bank of America may need to raise more capital, renewing worries about the financial sector.

Oil prices extended losses and fell below $50 a barrel on Tuesday, as a rising death toll from a flu outbreak that started in Mexico fanned fears of a pandemic potentially hurting the world economy and air travel.

Oil prices fell nearly 6 percent to below $49 a barrel on Monday, pressured partly by expectations the world economy could suffer another blow if a flu outbreak in Mexico turns out to be the start of a pandemic.

Oil prices fell more than 4 percent toward $49 a barrel on Monday, pressured by fears of a global flu pandemic that could prove another setback for the fragile world economy.

Oil prices fell over 2 percent toward $50 a barrel on Monday, paring some of the previous session's near 4 percent gain on fears of a global flu pandemic that could give the world economy another knock.

Corrects first paragraph to clarify that the disease is not yet a pandemic and market is moving on fears of it reaching pandemic proportions

Oil prices retreated below $51 a barrel on Monday, giving back some of the previous session's near 4 percent gain, on risk aversion following a deadly swine flu pandemic emerging from Mexico.