By V. Phani Kumar
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Crude-oil futures improved early Thursday on higher U.S. index futures and broad global stock advances, while gold prices pulled back to reflect eased risk-aversion. Light, sweet crude-oil prices for October delivery CL1V +0.64% climbed 69 cents, or 0.8%, to $89.60 a barrel, while December gold futures GC1Z -1.16% dropped $18.20, or 1%, to $1,808.30 an ounce, but finding support around the psychologically-important $1,800 level.
