SINGAPORE — Oil prices rose above $72 a barrel Monday in Asia as investors looked to a slew of U.S. corporate earnings reports this week for signs of economic recovery.
Benchmark crude for November delivery was up 44 cents at $72.21 by midday Singapore time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 8 cents to $71.77 on Friday.
Crude investors will be eyeing third quarter company results and forecasts for the rest of the year for clues about the strength of the U.S. economy. Top banks JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., Citigroup Inc. and Bank of America Corp. report this week along with Google Inc., Southwest Airlines Co., Intel Corp., IBM Corp., General Electric Co., and Johnson & Johnson.
A more optimistic crude demand forecast by the International Energy Agency on Friday helped boost trader confidence. The Paris-based IEA, which advises oil-consuming countries, said demand will likely reach 86.1 million barrels a day in 2010, up 1.7 percent from this year.
On Sunday, Kuwaiti oil minister Sheik Ahmed Al Abdullah Al Sabah told the state news agency that an oil price range between $60 to $80 a barrel is acceptable — echoing earlier remarks by Saudi Arabia.
The two Middle Eastern countries are members of the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries, which accounts for about a third of the world’s oil production.
In other Nymex trading, heating oil rose 1.71 cents to $1.87 a gallon. Gasoline for November delivery gained 1.11 cents to $1.78 a gallon. Natural gas for November delivery jumped 5.2 cents to $4.82 per 1,000 cubic feet.
In London, Brent crude rose 48 cents to $70.48 on the ICE Futures exchange.
Business
Oil rises above $72 ahead of US company results
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Online convenience
This tax season, the West Virginia State Tax Department is helping people understand the benefits of filing online and making them aware of the tax credits available.
“There’s a really good chance that people can save money ... and a bonus is you’ll get your refund a lot quicker,” Danny Forinash, public information officer for the State Tax Department, said of e-filing. -
J’s Supper Club: Fine dining, beautiful place
J’s Supper Club offers fine dining in an intimate atmosphere.
Business partners Janet Thompson and Janie Kerrigan opened the establishment in Fairmont at 1523 Mary Lou Retton Drive, across from the Armory, at the beginning of November. -
‘Almost like Cinderella’
When Morgantown business owner Diane Lewis was given the chance to attend the State of the Union address, “it was almost like Cinderella and being invited to the ball,” she said.
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Dan Cava’s Used Cars opens in White Hall
Dan Cava’s Used Cars invites everyone to stop by and see its selection of quality, pre-owned vehicles.
This used car lot opened for business about a week ago in White Hall along U.S. 250, by the Go Mart gas station just down the road from Dan Cava’s Toyota World. Middletown Tractor was previously located at this site. -
Finalists work toward next round of business competition
The 10 teams remaining in the 2011-12 West Virginia Statewide Collegiate Business Plan Competition are gaining “phenomenal experience.”
Those finalists were announced in December following round two of the competition, which was held Nov. 15 at the University of Charleston. -
Auto parts focus of Shaffer’s Recycling Center
John Shaffer, of the new Shaffer’s Recycling Center, loves his work and is following in his dad’s footsteps.
In November, he and his wife Kim officially started the business at 300 Jefferson St. in Fairview. After coming into town, people can find the facility by turning right past First Exchange Bank and traveling about a quarter of a mile. Residents may remember the building as the former home of Fairview Bit. -
Rider Pharmacy marking 45th anniversary
Rider Pharmacy has worked hard over the past 45 years to establish superior customer service and products.
The late Alice Bennett established Bennett’s Pharmacy in 1939 at 310 Merchant St. in Fairmont, across the street from where Rider Pharmacy is located today. -
Unemployment rate falling in most state counties
Most counties in the state have improved their unemployment rates, and this trend is expected to continue gradually in the near future.
WorkForce West Virginia recently released Labor Market Information by West Virginia County for November 2011. The report provides a county emphasis map, which is a ranking of the counties. -
Whitney Helms relocates to Les Cheveux
“Boring” isn’t a word Whitney Helms associates with her job.
Helms, who recently relocated to Les Cheveux in Fairmont, gets to do a variety of beauty-related tasks in her profession, which keeps her on her toes and makes her work interesting. -
INNOVA investing in new ethane ‘cracker’ technology
INNOVA Commercialization Group of Fairmont is helping Aither Chemicals of South Charleston keep West Virginia resources in the state.
INNOVA, an initiative of the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation, recently invested $200,000 in Aither Chemicals, which is developing a new ethane “cracker” technology. - More Business Headlines
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