US crude oil futures ended lower for the fifth session in a row on Friday, after slumping to a fresh five-month low amid ample fuel inventories and bearish technical signals.% y( [" v+ v. b5 X' _+ D+ k1 u2 H+ A. M3 b
8 \ r% x. d8 V+ C% RThe sell off has been unrelenting since BP said on Thursday it could restart shut production in its giant Prudhoe Bay field in Alaska earlier than expected.: ^5 j7 v1 P" ^8 D
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Gasoline futures finished down for the fifth session in six, dropping to their lowest level in six months. Heating oil ended lower for the fifth successive day, after also sliding to new five-month lows.* n2 y5 b7 ?6 ^. p7 C
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October delivery crude settled $US1.07 lower, or 1.6 per cent, at $US66.25 a barrel in open-outcry trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest since April 4. It fell as low as $US66, also the lowest since that date.
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" S$ o( q0 Z# ^$ H5 w0 D7 g6 e8 yThe five-day losing streak was the longest in 11 months, Reuters data show. Prices are down 4.2 per cent for the week.
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NYMEX October gasoline settled at $US1.6098 a gallon, down 3.19 US cents, or 1.9 per cent, at $US1.6098 a gallon.* T" Z6 f ]$ d1 S1 {1 t
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It fell as low as $US1.605, the lowest since March 8.
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LONDON METALS EXCHANGE (LME). }/ a, G/ X! F1 ^1 o
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Copper and aluminium fell in LME dealing on Friday as traders banked some profits after gains earlier in the week.
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Three-months copper ended the final kerb session at $7,815 per tonne, down from $8,010 at the close on Thursday, when it touched a peak of $8,110. o; o2 q5 K" U
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Aluminium was at $2,637, against the previous close of $2,670 and a peak of $2,687 on Thursday, the highest since July 12. Volumes traded remained high.
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Weakness in precious metals and a firmer dollar also weighed on base metals.
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Spot gold was down at $US609.55/610.55 a troy ounce from $US617.50/618.50 late in New York, and the euro was down to $1.2671.
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3 [/ ^, `" z, Z+ VOther metals also fell, with zinc down 4.5 per cent or $165 at $3,510 and nickel, untraded in the kerb, indicated at $27,950/28,000, down $500.; Q* n3 h# O8 s/ w( g4 @; {
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Tin was $25 lower at $9,150 while lead was up $12 at $1,330. |
发表于 2006-9-11 10:40:37