How High Will Oil Go?

(Newser) - With sales of SUVs and trucks dwindling, car companies have begun to push smaller, more fuel-efficient models—but not for the same small prices. Without the $10,000 profit that was typical on SUVs, automakers can no longer sell cars like the Ford Focus for an average profit of $100. Some are using extras to lure higher-spending customers. More »

(AP) - Oil prices dipped to just above $108 a barrel today after Hurricane Gustav left oil installations in the Gulf of Mexico largely undamaged. By midday in Europe, light, sweet crude for October delivery was down $1.50 on the New York Mercantile Exchange as the dollar continued to strengthen and attention shifted to slowing global demand for crude. At one point yesterday, it fell as low as $105.46, its lowest level since April.      More »

(Newser) - Perhaps Americans could spare some domestic oil for the descendants they plan to saddle with a heavy federal debt, New Orleans-based author Jed Horne writes in the Boston Globe . Offshore oil reserves are "not something that should be plundered to keep all-American SUVs running," he says. Horne says the oil won't make a "whit of a difference" in current prices but could be invaluable years from now. More »

(AP) - Oil prices tumbled to $111 a barrel today as Hurricane Gustav weakened along the Gulf Coast, posing less of a threat than forecast to oil drilling and refining operations. A stronger dollar also contributed to the average retail gas price being down slightly at $3.686 a gallon, the AP reports. It was feared last week that pump prices would soar because of the hurricane. More »

(Newser) - Hurricane Gustav helped boost oil prices today by more than $1 a barrel as energy companies shut down production facilities in the storm's path, reports Reuters. US crude rose $1.54 to $117 per barrel this morning, after briefly surging to over $118 when NYMEX opened for electronic trading hours earlier than usual. More »

(Newser) - Stocks rallied today amid light trading but still saw weekly losses as oil prices fell and financials rebounded, helped in part by a speech by Ben Bernanke that eased inflation fears, MarketWatch reports. The Dow surged 197.85 to 11,628.06; the Nasdaq gained 34.33, closing at 2,414.71; and the S&P 500 climbed 14.47 to 1,292.19. More »

(Newser) - Stocks saw mixed results today as the Dow and S&P 500 managed to claw back from early losses due to surging oil and a weak dollar, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Dow closed up 12.78 at 11,430.21; the Nasdaq fell 8.70 to 2,380.38, while the S&P 500 gained 3.18 to finish at 1,277.72. More »