NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Crude oil futures prices were trading higher Friday, gyrating on either side of $100 a barrel, as the dollar weakened against the euro amid surprising strength in euro-zone economic growth. News that gross domestic product rose 2.5% in the euro zone, compared with a expectations of a 2.2% gain, lifted the euro against the dollar, making oil cheaper for investors using some other currencies. Dollar weakness was reinforced when U.S. data showed core inflation, excluding energy and food costs, rose 0.2% in April, in line with expectations, and reinforcing the view that the Federal Reserve won't need to raise interest rates for the foreseeable future. Traders said that with inflation in check, there dollar is likely to come under further pressure, providing a prop for dollar-based commodities, like oil. Light, sweet crude oil future June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange was trading up 74 cents at $99.71 a barrel, in a range of $97.87 to $100.70 a barrel. Volatile crude prices haven't settled above $100 a barrel since Tuesday. Prices have moved in $20 a barrel intraday range in the past two weeks amid concerns that high prices are hurting demand. ICE June Brent crude was $1.09 a barrel higher, at $114.07 a barrel. "I don't know if we are in a downtrend or just correcting" from highs above $114 a barrel at the start of the month, which were the most since September 2008, said Andy Lebow, a trader and broker at MF Global. "The market is really grappling with" trying to determine the true market trend. He said he expects falling crude prices would find support in the mid-$90s. "Gasoline is way oversold," Lebow said, noting flooding on the Mississippi River could impact refineries, while two plants in Venezuela, including its largest refinery, have been hit by operating problems. June-delivery reformulated gasoline blendstock futures settled Thursday at 40 cents below the price at which the May contract expired just two weeks ago. Retail prices near $4 a gallon are dealing a sharp blow to demand, government data show. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said gasoline demand is likely to inch up by just 0.2% in the April-September peak driving season this year, while the International Energy Agency warns consumption could fall by 2% from a year ago, if prices stay high. June RBOB was up 3.52 cents at $3.0991 a gallon. June heating oil futures were up 1.82 cents at $2.9319 a gallon. -By David Bird, Dow Jones Newswires, 1-212-416-2141; david.bird@dowjones.com

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