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Crude oil futures hold steady, near 6-week lows

Published 05/02/2014, 02:35 AM
Updated 05/02/2014, 02:35 AM
Crude oil little changed as focus turns to U.S. jobs data

Crude oil little changed as focus turns to U.S. jobs data

Investing.com - Crude oil futures were steady during early European trading hours on Friday, hovering close to six-week lows as markets were jittery ahead of the release of U.S. nonfarm payrolls data later in the day.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, West Texas Intermediate crude oil for delivery in June traded at $99.36 a barrel during European morning trade, down 0.06%.

Futures were likely to find support at $98.10 a barrel, the low from April 23 and resistance at $100.59 a barrel, the high from April 30.

On Thursday, the Commerce Department reported that U.S. personal spending rose 0.9% in March, from an upwardly revised 0.5% the previous month and ahead of expectations of 0.6%.

Consumer spending is the single biggest source of U.S. economic growth, accounting for as much as two-thirds of economic activity.

Separately, the Institute for Supply Management said its manufacturing purchasing managers' index rose to 54.9 last month from 53.7 in March, compared to expectations for a reading of 54.3.

The reports came a day after the Federal Reserve said it would reduce its bond purchases by $10 billion to a total of $45 billion a month, in a widely expected decision.

Investors were looking ahead to the upcoming April nonfarm payrolls report, which was expected to show that the recovery in the labor market was continuing.

Elsewhere, on the ICE Futures Exchange, Brent oil for June delivery inched up 0.04% to trade at $107.82 a barrel, with the spread between the Brent and crude contracts standing at $8.46 a barrel.

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