Commodity Daily News

Crude Rallies on U.S Consumer Confidence

Crude Oil prices rose as much as 0.8%, to $62.35 a barrel, its highest settlement in more than 6 months in New York yesterday as U.S. benchmark stock indexes climbed for the first time in 5 sessions. Crude extended its gains after rising yesterday as a report showing a jump in U.S. consumer confidence triggered an advance in equities. The biggest gain in consumer confidence since 2003 spurred optimism the worst of the recession is over in the world's largest oil-consuming nation.

Oil was falling earlier in the session on expectations that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) won't cut production quotas at a Thursday meeting. OPEC raised its oil production in April for the first month since September, as some member countries took advantage of a recent rally in oil prices, data from the International Energy Agency showed.

OPEC, responsible for 40% of global crude supply, is likely to keep output quotas unchanged for a second time this year as recovering oil prices forestall the need for new cuts, according to analysts.