Oil prices rose on Monday in Asia as prospects for further cuts in United States interest rates seemed more likely after poor US jobs data at the end of last week. The US Labour Department said on Friday that employers cut payrolls by 80 000 jobs last month, many more than analysts had expected.
Oil prices slipped more than a barrel on Monday as traders worried that the flagging United States economy would cause oil demand to soften. Oil’s sharp decline started last week. Crude futures started plunging after the US Federal Reserve-backed sale of Bear Stearns to JPMorgan Chase created fears of deeper economic problems.
Recession fears following the biggest United States job losses in five years mixed with strains in the credit market on Monday to depress stocks and the dollar and drive investors to search for safety. European shares got off to a poor start and Japan’s benchmark Nikkei index closed at a two-and-a-half year low.
World oil prices eased further from the historic $100-a-barrel level on Monday after weak US employment data fanned worries about recession and demand in the world’s biggest energy consumer, dealers said. In afternoon trade, New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in February, was 71 cents lower at $97,20 a barrel.
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/ 7 November 2007
The euro soared to another record high against the sagging dollar on Wednesday, climbing above ,47 for the first time, while the British pound reached ,10. The 13-nation euro hit ,4730 in afternoon European trading before slipping back to ,4682 — still well above the ,4554 it bought in New York late on Tuesday.