MSN: U.S. crude holds most gains after economic data
NEW YORK, Oct 14 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures prices stayed up and held most of their gains on Thursday after economic reports showed U.S. initial jobless claims rose last week and the producer price index was steady in September.
A separate report showed the U.S. trade gap widened in August, and above expectations.
The dollar extended losses against the euro after the data. The dollar's weakness had helped lift crude earlier.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, November crude rose 46 cents, or 0.55 percent, to $83.47 a barrel at 8:40 a.m. EDT (1240 GMT), trading from $83.12 to $84.12. Prices were about 55-60 cents higher when the reports arrived. (Reporting by Robert Gibbons; Editing by John Picinich)