Oil prices ease, but Saudi-Iran tensions keep a floor in market

Major oil-producing countries moved on Friday toward an agreement to jointly raise exports, a decision that has driven considerable division among them but that could temper criticism from President Trump. Officials from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, as well as other major producers like Russia, were set to increase their total output by less than 1 percent of the global oil supply. Though a relatively small addition to the world energy market, the move nevertheless signals a willingness by international suppliers to address rising prices. Click Read More below for additional information.

Futures lost 0.3 percent in New York after rebounding Tuesday from the biggest drop in a week. Motor fuel stockpiles gained by 1.4 million barrels last week, while crude inventories fell by 3.6 million barrels, the American Petroleum Institute was said to report. Energy Information Administration data Wednesday is forecast to show both gasoline and crude stockpiles decreased. U.S. crude stockpiles at Cushing, Oklahoma, the delivery point for WTI and the biggest U.S. oil-storage hub, dropped by 462,000 barrels last week, said the API, according to people familiar with the data. Nationwide crude inventories probably decreased by 3.48 million barrels last week, while gasoline supplies slid 1.25 million, according to analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Click Read More below for additional detail.

American Dollar to Canadian Dollar = 0.737393; American Dollar to Chinese Yuan = 0.138250; American Dollar to Euro = 1.083513; American Dollar to Japanese Yen = 0.006605; American Dollar to Mexican Peso = 0.060465.