By Laura Mandaro
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Crude-oil futures turned higher Wednesday, tracking a rise in equities, which gained as some of the prior session's worries over the European bank system dissipated. Over the last few weeks, oil has frequently followed the stock market, seen as a barometer for future economic growth. Oil for October delivery rose 39 cents to $74.48 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Heating oil futures also gained, while gasoline traded flat. Natural gas was flat at $3.84 per million British thermal units.
