WSJ:OIL FUTURES: Crude Falls As Traders Look For Action On Euro Zone
By Sarah Kent
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
LONDON (Dow Jones)--Crude futures fell Wednesday, as traders continued to eye the stock markets and currency moves for direction.
The decline in crude prices follows a sharp rally Tuesday amid rumors that politicians were preparing to take action to contain the euro zone debt crisis.
Analysts said developments in the euro zone were likely to remain the key focus, with investors looking for signs of concrete agreement.
"We're seeing a little bit of a counter-reaction to the strong run up we saw over the last couple of days," said Ole Hansen, manager of the futures and fixed income trading desk at Saxo Bank. "It has been rumor driven and now we need to see some facts," he added.
At 0857 GMT, the front-month November Brent contract on London's ICE futures exchange was 68 cents, or 0.6%, lower at $106.46 a barrel.
The front-month November contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange was trading down 87 cents, or 1%, at $83.58 per barrel, after falling more than $1.00 a barrel earlier in the day.
-By Sarah Kent, Dow Jones Newswires; 4420-7842-9376; sarah.kent@dowjones.com