By V. Phani Kumar
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- U.S. crude-oil futures jumped to straddle the $100-a-barrel level early Monday as the dollar weakened and stock index futures pointed to a strong opening for U.S. equities. Light, sweet crude futures for January delivery CL2F +2.81% jumped $2.71, or 2.8%, to $99.48 a barrel, after the contract hit a high of $100.73 during electronic trading earlier in the day. The jump came in the wake of a strong start to the holiday-shopping season and hopes for progress in tackling the debt crisis by Europe's leadership. Front-month Nymex crude futures had last hit the $100-mark on Nov. 16, when they topped $102 a barrel.
