Stories related to: oil prices

The dollar declined against most major currencies and fell to its lowest level ever against the euro today as markets anticipated another rate cut from the Fed when it meets March 18, increasing the value of assets outside the US, Bloomberg reports. The dollar’s erosion pushed commodity prices up, with oil topping $102 a barrel for the first time. More »

Oil prices have jumped 16% in two weeks, and analysts tell the Christian Science Monitor the run-up couldn't come at a worse time. As the US economy flirts with recession, beleaguered consumers could end up spending their economic stimulus checks to cover even higher gas prices. The $101.32 per barrel oil gushed to yesterday is attributed to cuts in production and fears that OPEC may trim output further at its meeting next month More »

After three-digit Dow gains, today's record surge in oil prices knocked out a broad rally, and the major indexes closed in the red. Analysts say the market won't be able to sustain a prolonged rally for some time. "The rallies we're seeing now are just bounces, not a new trend," a strategist tells the Wall Street Journal . The Dow ended down 10.99 at 12,337.22, the Nasdaq 15.60 at 2,306.20, and the S&P 500 1.21 at 1,348.78. More »

The world’s first commercial oil well was in Oil City, Pa., which saw its fortunes fall along with the crude supply. Now that prices are at historic highs, Oil City is part of a renaissance. The easy crude is long gone, but a motley assortment of would-be barons is using everything from nuclear scanners to dynamite to churn up those last few drops. The Wall Street Journal pays a visit. More »

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is threatening to cut off US oil supplies if Exxon Mobil wins a court ruling to seize billions of dollars in Venezuelan assets, AP reports. The Texas-based oil giant has challenged Venezuela’s efforts to nationalize a multi-billion-dollar oil project, and the fiery leader promised an "economic war" if a decision goes against his nation. A British court has already frozen some $12 billion in assets. More »

Many United Airlines travelers planning to check in more than one piece of luggage are going to have to pay for it, beginning this spring. Passengers buying nonrefundable economy tickets will have to fork over $25 for a second bag as the airline seeks to offset soaring fuel costs without raising ticket prices. Frequent fliers and international travelers will be exempt. The airline expects to gain $100 million from the charge, Bloomberg reports. More »

OPEC dashed American hopes for a boost in oil production today, Bloomberg reports. The US and other Western nations wanted more oil on the market to lower prices, but OPEC decided to hold production steady. The consortium, which supplies 40% of the world's oil, is worried that the flagging world economy will reduce demand. More »

After his public request for increased oil production and the resulting price drop was rejected yesterday, President Bush made a personal appeal to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah to be more generous with his wells, ABC News reports. Only an hour after Bush’s public plea, the Saudi oil minister announced the country would increase production “when the market justifies it.”—a polite refusal. More »

You thought $100 a barrel was high. Options to buy oil for $200 a barrel have grown tenfold on the Nymex exchange in recent weeks, Bloomberg reports. Speculators use oil futures to bet on expected price hikes. While $200-a-barrel options remain only a small proportion of the total, the number has been going up as traders gamble that events could cause oil prices to climb even higher than record highs. More »

Rising oil prices, a crashing job market, and a tenacious mortgage crisis have created “economic challenges” for the US, President Bush said in Chicago yesterday, a shift from his insistence that the economy is fundamentally strong. While acknowledging “Americans are anxious about the economy,” Bush stopped short of saying the nation is entering a recession, reports the New York Times . More »

The price of oil could surge to $150 in five years and $200 in 10 years, a prominent German economic institute reports. "Oil supplies are becoming increasingly scarce and that will continue to drive up prices," said one energy expert. Oil prices hit $100 yesterday for the first time, and continue to hover near the triple-digit mark in today's trading. More »

The surging price of oil from $10 a barrel a decade ago to a record $100 today is remaking the global economy and altering the balance of power across the world, according to the Wall Street Journal . If oil prices continue to climb, as many experts predict, US political power will decline as the economic clout of oil producers increases exponentially. The price of oil was holding near $100 today, driven by concerns about US fuel supplies and the dollar, Reuters reports. More »

Crude oil prices jumped $4.02 today to push past $100 a barrel for the first time as Nigerian violence, disrupted Mexican exports, and the specter of dipping US stockpiles stoked supply fears in the face of ever-rising energy demands, CNNMoney reports. The previous record was $99.29, set November 20. More »

A slowing US economy and rising oil production will lower the price of crude to between $80 and $85 a barrel in 2008, predicts the Christian Science Monitor . While still higher than the $71 average for 2007, it’s a drop from current prices near $93. Lower prices could ease inflation worries in the US, experts say. More »

November’s consumer price index spiked 0.8%—the biggest rise since September 2005—as soaring energy costs pushed up prices on an array of  goods and services. The increase, higher than the 0.6% anticipated, reignites inflation worries, causing experts to predict that further Fed rate cuts are unlikely, Bloomberg reports. More »

Weaker than anticipated US job growth reported Friday helped extend a decline in crude oil prices today, with futures dipping below $88 on Asian markets, reports the AP. Fears of a slowing economy and reduced demand are driving the decline. Investors had bet better employment figures would prompt the Fed to cut rates a half point, rather than an anticipated quarter point, when they meet tomorrow, continuing to weaken the dollar and strengthen oil prices. More »

With gas prices stratospheric, the housing market tanking, and recession looking likely, voters aren't too worried about Iraq, reports the Wall Street Journal. Job concerns have transformed illegal immigration and health care into major issues. “You have to have a health plan even in the Republican primary,” says John McCain’s economic adviser. “That's a new development.” More »

Petrodollars have fueled an investing binge in companies ranging from chipmaker AMD to private-equity giant Carlyle Group to Citigroup. And, with nearly $5 billion in oil revenue gushing weekly into Persian Gulf nations, the spree won’t likely slow, the New York Times reports. “The oil-producing countries simply cannot absorb the amount of wealth they are generating,” one observer said. More »

With oil prices poised to pass the $100 mark any day now, a pair of reports speculates that OPEC will cool the overheated market by boosting oil production, the Wall Street Journal reports. One consulting firm said OPEC, spurred by Saudi Arabia’s increased deliveries to the US, could up output by as much as 720,000 barrels a day. More »

The price of oil hit a record high mere pennies from $100 a barrel and the dollar sunk to a new low in early trading today. Oil hit $99.29 but slipped back to $98.64. With cold weather hitting the US, and OPEC supplies limited, some analysts think oil prices could hit the $100- a-barrel milestone as early as today. The continued drop in the dollar against other currencies is helping fuel the rise. More »