BLBG:Oil Rises; Copper Climbs for a Fourth Day: Commodities at Close
The Standard & Poor’s GSCI gauge of 24 commodities rose 0.2 percent to 646.15 as of 6:13 p.m. in Singapore. The UBS Bloomberg CMCI index of 26 raw materials advanced 0.3 percent to 1,520.671.
CRUDE OIL
Oil headed for its biggest weekly gain in almost two months in New York after U.S. economic reports indicated that growth in the world’s biggest crude consumer will accelerate.
Crude for February delivery was at $99.89 a barrel, up 36 cents, in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 9:14 a.m. London time. The contract yesterday rose 86 cents to $99.53, the highest settlement since Dec. 13. Futures have climbed 9.3 percent this year after increasing 15 percent in 2010.
NATURAL GAS
OIL PRODUCTS
Naphtha’s premium to London-traded Brent crude futures slid $2.64 to $99.02 a ton at 3:55 p.m. Singapore time, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. This crack spread, a measure of profits from making the petrochemical feedstock, is headed for a third weekly gain.
Gasoil’s premium to Asian marker Dubai crude rose 31 cents to $18 a barrel at 3:55 p.m. Singapore time, according to PVM Oil Associates Ltd., a London-based broker. This crack spread is set to narrow for the fifth week in six.
PRECIOUS METALS
Gold for immediate delivery climbed 0.5 percent to $1,613 an ounce at 7:44 a.m. in London, bringing the gain this week to 0.9 percent. The February futures contract advanced 0.3 percent to $1,614.60 an ounce on the Comex in New York.
BASE METALS
GRAINS, OILSEEDS, LIVESTOCK
Soybeans for March delivery dropped as much as 0.5 percent to $11.6575 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade and were at 11.6675 at 3:17 p.m. in Singapore. The oilseed rose 0.7 percent yesterday, its sixth straight gain and the longest rally since July 15. Prices are set to gain 2.4 percent this week.
Corn for March delivery dropped as much as 0.4 percent to $6.1525 a bushel before trading at $6.165 a bushel. Prices rose 0.2 percent yesterday, capping the first five-session gain since mid-May. Futures are set to advance 5.8 percent this week, heading for a 2 percent decline this year.
Wheat for March delivery declined 0.4 percent to $6.19 a bushel, heading for a 6 percent weekly gain. Prices have slumped 22 percent this year as global production expanded.
Cattle futures for February delivery rose 3 cents, the maximum allowed by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, capping a 2.5 percent gain to settle at $1.2345 a pound yesterday. That’s the highest for the most active contract since Dec. 2, and prices are up 14 percent this year.
SOFT COMMODITIES
Cotton for March delivery rose 0.5 percent to settle at 87.24 cents a pound yesterday on ICE Futures U.S. in New York. The price has plunged 40 percent this year and is on pace for the biggest annual decline since 2004.
Orange-juice futures for March delivery added 0.5 percent to $1.64 a pound on ICE. The price is up 0.3 percent this year.
Cocoa for March delivery fell 1 percent to settle at $2,221 a ton at noon on ICE Futures U.S. in New York. Prices have dropped 27 percent this year.
Arabica-coffee futures for March delivery gained 0.7 percent to $2.214 a pound in New York, the third gain in four days. The commodity has dropped 7.9 percent in 2011.
To contact the reporter on this story: Christian Schmollinger in Singapore at christian.s@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Alexander Kwiatkowski at akwiatkowsk2@bloomberg.net