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☆ Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz steps down from board of directors
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Starbucks announced Wednesday that Howard Schultz is stepping down from its board of directors – but the former chairman’s name will be sticking around. Though Schultz is retiring, Starbucks is giving him the title of “lifelong Chairman Emeritus.”Schultz is stepping down as part of a planned transition, Starbucks said in a statement. He previously stepped down as CEO in March, as employees at stores across the nation moved to unionize. That was Schultz’s third time serving in the CEO role. Then, in April 2022, Johnson stepped down and Schultz took over the coffee giant as interim CEO.

Persons: Howard Schultz, –, Schultz, ” Schultz, Sheri, Wei Zhang, Zhang, Ralph Lauren Corporation, Jack Ma, ”, Laxman Narasimhan, “, Kevin Johnson, Johnson, Narasimhan Organizations: New, New York CNN, Starbucks, Alibaba, Alibaba Pictures, Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission, Amblin Partners, Jack Ma Foundation, Starbucks Workers Locations: New York, China, Oleato

Distillate inventories, which include diesel and heating oil, were by late August about 15% below the five-year average for this time of year, according to the Energy Information Administration. "We are living barrel to barrel and there is just no room for errors in the system," Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn said. Refiners have failed to build sizable stocks ahead of the seasonal surge in demand due to tight supplies of medium and heavy crude oil grades that are distillate-rich. Seasonal overhauls could take out around 2 million bpd of the country's 18.1 million bpd refining capacity, he said. "Even with soft demand, diesel inventories are stubbornly low, and cracks have rallied in search of supply or demand-side relief before winter," the analysts said.

Persons: Bing Guan, Phil Flynn, Refiners, Bjarne Schieldrop, SEB, Robert Yawger, Shariq Khan, Laura Sanicola, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Angeles Refinery, California Air Resources Board, Energy Information Administration, Futures, Organization Petroleum Exporting, Saudi, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: Angeles, California, Carson , California, U.S, Europe, OPEC, Ukraine, Garyville , Louisiana

☆ China's Nio to launch first mobile phone in Sept to boost appeal of EV
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nio's founder and chief executive, William Li, was a key driver of the phone project, which the automaker is targeting mainly at drivers of its cars. As the smartphone trend fuels great demand for connectivity, from drivers, more automakers are seeking ways to stay ahead of the growing competition. But Nio's phone project has raised concern among some investors as the company battles widening losses and a sales slump amid a price war started by Tesla in January. Nio posted a net loss of 6.12 billion yuan ($839.51 million) in the second quarter, versus a loss of 2.75 billion yuan in the corresponding period a year ago. Li said Nio would launch the first model of its new EV brand targeting the mass market in the second half of 2024.

Persons: William Li, Li, Tesla, Nio, Zhang Yan, Brenda Goh, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: HK, Zhejing, Huawei Technologies, Seres, CYVN Holdings, EV, Thomson Locations: SHANGHAI

The weather system is not expected to hit major oil producing platforms in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. However, oil major Chevron Corp (CVX.N) evacuated some staff from three platforms in the region. Expectations of a steep decline in U.S. crude oil stockpiles have also benefited oil prices, UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo said. U.S. crude oil inventories are expected to have dropped by 3.3 million barrels in the latest week, according to an extended Reuters poll on Tuesday. "Even with the potential for some demand destruction (from hurricane Idalia), the coming crude oil supply squeeze is becoming more painfully obvious," said Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn.

Persons: Hurricane Idalia, Idalia, Robert Yawger, Yawger, Giovanni Staunovo, Baker Hughes, Phil Flynn, Shariq Khan, Natalie Grover, Emily Chow, Josie Kao, Nick Zieminski Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Companies, Florida U.S, Hurricane, Brent, U.S, West Texas, Federal Reserve, Hurricane Center, Labor, Chevron Corp, Chevron, UBS, American Petroleum Institute, Futures, Thomson Locations: Idemitsu, Ichihara, Tokyo, Japan, BENGALURU, Florida, Miami, U.S . Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, Gulf of Mexico, Bengaluru, London, Singapore, Houston

Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Oil prices edged higher on Tuesday as Hurricane Idalia intensified as it headed towards Florida's Gulf Coast, threatening to hit crude oil supplies in an already tightening market. Brent crude oil futures rose 34 cents, or 0.4%, to $84.76 a barrel by 11:44 a.m. EDT [1544 GMT], while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 36 cents, or 0.5%, to $80.46 a barrel. U.S. crude oil inventories are expected to have dropped in the latest week, according to a preliminary Reuters poll on Monday. On the demand front, investors are monitoring data from major economies for further clues on interest rates this year and next. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday said the U.S. central bank may need to raise interest rates further to cool stubborn inflation.

Persons: Idalia, Phil Flynn, Jerome Powell, Shariq Khan, Natalie Grover, Emily Chow, Louise Heavens, David Goodman, Mike Harrison Organizations: Kyodo, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Brent, U.S . West Texas, Chevron, Marathon Petroleum, American Petroleum Institute, Futures, Federal, Thomson Locations: Idemitsu, Ichihara, Tokyo, Japan, Gulf, U.S, Florida, Cuba, Mexico, Garyville , Louisiana, United States, Beijing, Bengaluru, London, Singapore, Houston

REUTERS/Chen Aizhu/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - Oil futures climbed about 1% to a one-week high on Friday as U.S. diesel prices soared, the number of oil rigs dropped and a fire broke out at a refinery in Louisiana. Brent futures rose $1.12, or 1.3%, to settle at $84.48 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 78 cents, or 1.0%, to settle at $79.83. Diesel futures soared about 5% to a near seven-month high, boosting the diesel crack spread , a measure of refining profit margins, to its highest since January 2023. "The main thing was concern about diesel prices, the diesel crack spread and worries about diesel shortages when refineries go into maintenance," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. He added prices also drew support from a fire at a Louisiana refinery and a drop in U.S. oil rigs.

Persons: Chen Aizhu, Phil Flynn, Brent, WTI, Baker Hughes, Jerome Powell, Morgan Stanley, John Evans, Natalie Grover, Laura Sanicola, Muyu Xu, David Goodman, Jason Neely, David Gregorio, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: China National Petroleum Corporation, Dalian Petrochemical Corp, REUTERS, U.S, West Texas, Diesel, Price Futures Group, U.S ., Federal, Thomson Locations: China, Dalian, Liaoning province, Louisiana, Brent, , Louisiana, U.S, Germany, Europe's, Norwegian, London, Washington, Singapore

[1/2] A worker cleans an electric-powered car Neta V, that is displayed during the Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show in Tangerang, near Jakarta, Indonesia, August 10, 2023. Dody Hartono, a visitor at the auto show who plans to buy his first EV by 2024, said he wants a better deal. Indonesia has ambitious EV growth plans as it races Thailand and India to build out an EV industry as an alternative to China, the world's largest producer. CONFIDENCE ISSUESToyota (7203.T), its affiliate Daihatsu, and Honda (7267.T) account for two-thirds of auto sales in Indonesia but have been slow to pivot to EVs. Toyota has said it has no plans yet to build an EV in Indonesia.

Persons: Willy Kurniawan, Dody, EVs, Hartono, China's, Hendra Pratama, Hendra Budi, –, Johan Purnomo, Stefanno Sulaiman, Kevin Krolicki, Himani Organizations: REUTERS, Hyundai, HK, Air EV Lite, Daihatsu, Huawei, Toyota, Honda, Mitsubishi Motors, Thomson Locations: Indonesia, Tangerang, Jakarta, Thailand, India, China, Southeast Asia

☆ Oil dips as demand concerns mount; eyes on US inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Muyu Xu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) rose by 5.9 million barrels in the last week to 445.6 million barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 0.6 million-barrel rise, U.S. Energy Information Administration data showed on Wednesday. U.S. crude oil exports fell by 2.9 million barrels per day last week, the steepest fall on record, to 2.36 million barrels per day (bpd), according to the data. Concerns over LNG supply drove European gas prices to a nearly 2-month high on Wednesday and buoyed the demand outlook for diesel as alternative fuel. However, oil prices remained supported by supply tightness worries as tensions between Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea region could threaten shipment of Russian oil. Top exporter Saudi Arabia's plans to extend its voluntary production cut of 1 million barrels per day for another month to include September.

Persons: Johan Sverdrup, Carina Johansen, NTB, Brent, Phil Flynn, Priyanka Sachdeva, Phillip Nova, Jun Rong, Muyu Xu, Laura Sanicola, Muralikumar Organizations: West Texas, U.S . Energy, Price Futures, Index, CPI, Woodside Energy Group, IG, Saudi, Thomson Locations: North, China, U.S, ., United States, Chevron, Russia, Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Washington

☆ Why orange juice futures are spiking
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Orange juice futures are hitting record highs because of bad weather and a nasty citrus disease. “Record-high orange juice prices in 2023 are a consequence of a very tight market, with smaller-than-expected production and low inventories,” he added. Spiking futures prices could mean higher prices at the grocery store, he said. On Walmart’s website, a 52-ounce bottle of Tropicana Original orange juice currently goes for about $4. Shoppers may not tolerate prices getting any higher, especially when they don’t see orange juice as a staple.

Persons: ”, Billy Roberts, Hurricanes Ian, Nicole, Chandan Khanna, Citrus, Mathew Joyner, Roberts, “, Andrés Padilla, Jack Scoville Organizations: New, New York CNN, OJ, Hurricanes, Getty, US Department of Agriculture, Citrus Mutual, Rabobank, Price Futures Group, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: New York, Florida, America, Brazil, Mexico, United States

☆ Progressive Democrats are proposing a new tax they say will help 'close the exorbitant wealth gap'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Joseph Wilkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The richest 0.1% of US households held 20% of the wealth, says the Patriotic Millionaires group. It's helped several Democrats Representatives devise legislation for a new wealth tax. The Bill aims to close the "exorbitant" US wealth gap but has little chance of passing the House. The legislation has four brackets:2% for all wealth between 1,000 and 10,000 times median household wealth4% for all wealth between 10,000 and 100,000 times median household wealth6% for all wealth between 100,000 and 1,000,000 times median household wealth8% for all wealth over 1,000,000 times median household wealthThe median American household wealth is just over $120,000, according to the Patriotic Millionaires. The Patriotic Millionaires have long campaigned for fairer income redistribution, and say the net worth of America's 735 billionaires is now $4.7 trillion.

Persons: It's, Bill, Barbara Lee of, Jamaal Bowman, Lee, Morris Pearl Organizations: Patriotic Millionaires, Service, New, BlackRock, Republican, Internal Revenue Service Locations: Wall, Silicon, Barbara Lee of California, New York, United States, America

More actively traded October Brent crude futures rose $1.02, or 1.2%, to settle at $85.43 a barrel. The September Brent contract, which expired at settlement on Monday, rose 0.7% to close at $85.56 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rallied $1.22, or 1.5%, to $81.80 a barrel. Reuters GraphicsPump jacks operate at sunset in an oil field in Midland, Texas U.S. August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick OxfordSaudi Arabia is expected to extend a voluntary oil output cut of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) for another month to include September.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Brent, WTI, Nick Oxford, Edward Moya, Phil Flynn, Shariq Khan, Natalie Grover, Florence, Mohi Narayan, Christina Fincher, Louise Heavens, David Evans, Nick Macfie, Paul Simao Organizations: Saudi, . West Texas, Midland , Texas U.S, REUTERS, Organization of Petroleum, Reuters, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Futures, Thomson Locations: Riyadh, OPEC, Goldman Sachs BENGALURU, Midland , Texas, Nick Oxford Saudi Arabia, Saudi, U.S, India, Bengaluru, London, Florence Tan, Singapore, New Delhi

Bolstered by supply cuts from the OPEC+ alliance announced earlier this month, both oil benchmarks gained nearly 5% for the week - a fifth straight week of gains. The benchmarks are on track to gain over 13% for the month. In an interview on Friday, Exxon Mobil (XOM.N) chief Darren Woods said he expected record oil demand this year and next. On the supply side, U.S. oil rigs fell by one to 529 this week, their lowest since March 2022, energy services firm Baker Hughes (BKR.O) said on Friday. Saudi Arabia is expected to extend the voluntary oil output cut for another month to include September, five analysts said, to provide additional support for the oil market.

Persons: Brent, Phil Flynn, Jerome Powell's, Tamas Varga, Darren Woods, Baker Hughes, Stephanie Kelly, Natalie Grover, Laura Sanicola, Andrew Hayley, Deepa Babington, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: drillers, U.S . Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, U.S, West Texas, Price Futures, Federal, Exxon Mobil, Thomson Locations: France, Spain, China, OPEC, United States, U.S, Saudi, Saudi Arabia, New York, London, Washington, Beijing

"The oil market is starting to slowly price in a looming supply crunch," Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn said. "Global supplies are starting to tighten and that could accelerate dramatically in the coming weeks. A shutdown of the grain corridor could hit supplies of ethanol and biofuels that are blended with oil products at a time that global grain markets are already tightening, which would lead to refiners using more crude oil, Flynn said. Meanwhile, U.S. energy firms this week reduced the number of oil rigs by seven, their biggest cut since early June, energy services firm Baker Hughes said. At 530, the U.S. oil rig count, an early indicator of future output, is at its lowest since March 2022.

Persons: WTI, Phil Flynn, Flynn, Baker Hughes, Suhail, Mazrouei, Rob Haworth, Shariq Khan, Natalie Grover, Arathy, Andrew Hayley, Marguerita Choy, David Holmes Organizations: Brent, U.S . West Texas, Futures, Energy Information Administration, EIA, UAE Energy, Reuters, P, U.S, Bank Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, China BENGALURU, U.S, Bengaluru, London, Houston, Beijing

Brent crude futures rose $1.43, or 1.8%, to settle at $81.07 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose $1.42, or 1.9%, to settle at $77.07 a barrel, the highest since April 25. "The oil market is starting to slowly price in a looming supply crunch as it is on track for its fourth week of price gains," Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn said. In the U.S., crude inventories (USOILC=ECI) have fallen, amid a jump in crude exports and higher refinery utilisation, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday. Data from the world's second-biggest oil consumer suggests the government's 5% annual growth target will be missed.

Persons: Brent, Phil Flynn, Flynn, Suhail, Mazrouei, Jay Hatfield, Rob Haworth, Shariq Khan, Natalie Grover, Arathy, Andrew Hayley, Marguerita Choy, David Holmes Organizations: Friday, Brent, . West Texas, Futures, Energy Information Administration, EIA, UAE Energy, Reuters, Infrastructure Capital Management, P, U.S, Bank Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, China BENGALURU, U.S, China, Bengaluru, London, Houston, Beijing

Brent crude futures rose 90 cents, or 1.1%, to $80.54 a barrel by 11:36 a.m. EDT [1536 GMT]. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures rose 97 cents, or 1.3%, to $76.62 a barrel. "The oil market is starting to slowly price in a looming supply crunch as it is on track for its fourth week of price gains," said Price Futures Group analyst Phil Flynn. "Global supplies are starting to tighten and that could accelerate dramatically in the coming weeks. Data from the world's second-biggest oil consumer suggests the government's 5% annual growth target will be missed.

Persons: Phil Flynn, Flynn, Suhail, Mazrouei, Jay Hatfield, Shariq Khan, Natalie Grover, Arathy, Andrew Hayley, Conor Humphries, David Holmes Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, Futures, UN, Energy Information Administration, UAE Energy, Reuters, Infrastructure Capital Management, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, China BENGALURU, U.S, China, Bengaluru, London, Houston, Beijing

☆ Oil prices dip on profit-taking despite tighter U.S. supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A very large oil tanker docked at the 300,000-ton crude oil terminal at Yantai Port in Yantai, Shandong province, China, June 16, 2023. Oil prices edged lower on Wednesday, as investors took profits following earlier gains on tighter U.S. crude supplies and China's pledge to reinvigorate its economic growth. Prices pared gains late in the session after both contracts had risen by over $1 a barrel. Market participants took advantage of the higher prices and took profits, said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. ... Any improvement in the inflation data also means an improvement in oil demand," said Naeem Aslam of Zaye Capital Markets.

Persons: Phil Flynn, Flynn, We're, Klaas, Naeem Aslam Organizations: U.S, West Texas, Price Futures, Energy, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Traders, Zaye, Markets Locations: Yantai, Shandong province, China, Russia

☆ Oil prices rise on cooling US inflation, China trade data
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Jeslyn Lerh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, July 13 (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed on Thursday after U.S. inflation and economic data sparked hopes that the Federal Reserve may have fewer interest rate hikes in store and Chinese trade figures showed monthly oil imports were the second-highest on record in June. Brent crude futures gained 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $80.32 per barrel by 0630 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 13 cents, or 0.2%, at $75.88. U.S. data on Wednesday showed consumer prices rose modestly in June, registering the smallest annual increase in more than two years. Markets expect one more interest rate rise, but oil traders hope that may be it because higher rates can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand. Crude oil imports for January-June were up 11.7% at 282.1 million metric tons, while refined oil products exports for January-June were up 44.7% at 31.31 million metric tons, customs data showed.

Persons: Jun Rong, Yeap, Phil Flynn, Jeslyn Lerh, Laura Sanicola, Jamie Freed, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: Federal, Brent, U.S, West Texas, IG, Administration, Customs, U.S . Energy, Price Futures, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, U.S, Singapore, Washington

July 13 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Thursday after U.S. inflation and economic data sparked hopes the Federal Reserve may have fewer interest rate hikes in store for the world's biggest economy. Brent crude futures rose 6 cents to $80.17 per barrel by 0004 GMT and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 4 cents, or $75.79. U.S. data on Wednesday showed consumer prices rose modestly in June, registering the smallest annual increase in more than two years. Markets expect one more interest rate rise, but oil traders hope that may be it because higher rates can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand. Top producer Saudi Arabia pledged last week to extend a production cut of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in August, while Russia will cut exports by 500,000 bpd.

Persons: Phil Flynn, Laura Sanicola, Jamie Freed Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, Saudi, U.S . Energy, Administration, Price Futures, Thomson Locations: Saudi Arabia, Russia, U.S

☆ Oil prices rise in early trade as U.S. inflation cools
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Oil prices rose in early Asian trade on Thursday after U.S. inflation and economic data sparked hopes the Federal Reserve may have fewer interest rate hikes in store for the world's biggest economy. Brent crude futures rose 6 cents to $80.17 per barrel by 0004 GMT and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 4 cents, or $75.79. U.S. data on Wednesday showed consumer prices rose modestly in June, registering the smallest annual increase in more than two years. Markets expect one more interest rate rise, but oil traders hope that may be it because higher rates can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand. Top producer Saudi Arabia pledged last week to extend a production cut of 1 million barrels per day, or bpd, in August, while Russia will cut exports by 500,000 bpd.

Persons: pumpjack, Phil Flynn Organizations: Brent, . West Texas, Saudi, U.S . Energy, Administration, Price Futures Locations: Bakersfield, Kern County , California, USA, Saudi Arabia, Russia, U.S

July 12 (Reuters) - Oil prices settled higher on Wednesday, with benchmark Brent futures breaching $80 a barrel for the first time since May, after U.S. inflation data spurred hopes the Federal Reserve may have fewer interest rate hikes in store for the world's biggest economy. U.S. data showed consumer prices rose modestly in June and registered their smallest annual increase in more than two years. Markets expect one more interest rate rise, but oil traders hope that may be it. Brent futures settled up 71 cents, or 0.9%, to $80.11 a barrel. Forecasts from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) point to the market tightening into 2024.

Persons: Naeem Aslam, Brent, Tamas Varga, Phil Flynn, Natalie Grover, Trixie Yap, Sonali Paul, Barbara Lewis, Emelia, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Zaye, . West Texas, U.S . Energy Information Administration, International Energy Agency, IEA, Saudi, U.S . Energy, Administration, Price Futures, Thomson Locations: China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, U.S, London

☆ Oil near flat as tighter supplies offset U.S. rate hike risk
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Oil prices were near flat on Thursday as the market weighed tighter U.S. crude supplies with the higher likelihood of a U.S. interest rate hike that could dent energy demand. U.S. interest rate futures on Thursday increased the probability of another U.S. rate rise after news private payrolls surged last month. "While the inventories are supportive for oil prices today, the oil market is being dominated by fears of further rate increases," said Andrew Lipow, president at Lipow Oil Associates in Houston. The total cuts now stand at more than five million barrels per day (bpd), equating to 5% of global oil output. Rather than pressuring oil producers to curb supply, which heads of global energy companies say serves only to increase prices, governments should shift the focus to limiting oil demand to reduce emissions, they said.

Persons: payrolls, Phil Flynn, Andrew Lipow Organizations: Brent, . West Texas Intermediate, Federal Reserve, Price Futures, Energy Information Administration, Lipow Oil Associates, Reuters, OPEC Locations: Red, Ras Behar, Egypt, U.S, Europe, China, Houston, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Vienna

☆ Alibaba exploring options for video platforms Youku, Tudou -Bloomberg News
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

July 4 (Reuters) - Alibaba Group Holding (9988.HK) is exploring options for its video streaming platforms Youku and Tudou, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. One of the options under consideration is to inject the assets into Alibaba Pictures Group Ltd (1060.HK) and bolster the scope of the Hong Kong-listed company, Bloomberg reported. Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'SouzaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jahnavi, Savio D'Souza Organizations: Bloomberg, Alibaba Pictures Group, HK, Thomson Locations: HK, Tudou, Hong Kong, Bengaluru

NEW YORK, June 28 (Reuters) - Oil prices climbed about 3% on Wednesday as the second straight weekly draw from U.S. crude stockpiles was bigger than expected, offsetting worries that further interest rate hikes could slow economic growth and reduce global oil demand. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.86, or 2.8%, to settle at $69.56, narrowing Brent's premium over WTI to its lowest since June 9. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said crude inventories dropped by 9.6 million barrels in the week ended June 23, far exceeding the 1.8-million barrel draw analysts forecast in a Reuters poll and also much bigger than the 2.8 million barrel draw a year earlier. This report could be a bottom (for oil prices)," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. Investors remained cautious that interest rate hikes could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.

Persons: Brent, Phil Flynn, Jerome Powell, Flynn, Powell, Christine Lagarde, Gelber, Shariq Khan, Alex Lawler, Mohi Narayan, Emma Rumney, Mark Potter, David Gregorio, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: YORK, . West Texas, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Price Futures Group, Investors, . Federal, European Central Bank, Associates, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: WTI, Russia, Saudi, China, Bengaluru, London, New Delhi

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.63, or 2.45%, to $69.33. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said crude inventories dropped by 9.6 million barrels in the week ended June 23, far exceeding the 1.8-million barrel draw analysts forecast in a Reuters poll and also much bigger than the 2.8 million barrel draw a year earlier. This report could be a bottom (for oil prices)," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. Investors remained cautious that interest rate hikes could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand. Analysts at energy consulting firm Gelber and Associates said that decline in backwardation suggested "diminishing worries over potential supply shortages."

Persons: Brent, Phil Flynn, Jerome Powell, Flynn, Powell, Christine Lagarde, Gelber, backwardation, Shariq Khan, Alex Lawler, Mohi Narayan, Emma Rumney, Mark Potter, David Gregorio Our Organizations: YORK, . West Texas, U.S . Energy Information Administration, Price Futures Group, Investors, . Federal, European Central Bank, Associates, Organization of, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: WTI, Russia, OPEC, Saudi, China, Bengaluru, London, New Delhi

NEW YORK, June 28 (Reuters) - Oil prices rose about 2% on Wednesday as a bigger-than-expected drop in U.S. crude stockpiles offset worries that further interest rate hikes could slow economic growth and reduce global oil demand. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said crude inventories dropped by 9.6 million barrels in the week ended June 23, putting stockpiles down for a second week in a row. That was much bigger than the 1.8 million barrel draw analysts forecast in a Reuters poll and compares with a decline of 2.8 million barrels in the same week last year and a five-year (2018-2022) average decrease of 7.8 million barrels. This report could be a bottom (for oil prices)," Flynn said. Oil prices rose despite worries about interest rate hikes that could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.

Persons: Brent, Phil Flynn, Flynn, Christine Lagarde, Shariq Khan, Alex Lawler, Mohi Narayan, Emma Rumney, Mark Potter Organizations: YORK, U.S, West Texas, U.S . Energy Information Administration, American Petroleum Institute, Price Futures, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru, London, New Delhi

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