Crude Oil Touched Its Highest Level Since July. Oil prices climbed to their highest level since July on
Thursday, as buoyant Chinese equity markets encouraged buying, and as Russia's military involvement in Syria
brought a geopolitical risk premium into the market. Syrian troops and allied militias backed by Russian
airstrikes and cruise missiles attacked rebel forces as the government extended a major offensive in the west. It
added to the uncertainty in the Middle East, one of world’s biggest oil-producing regions. The market shrugged
off concern about the higher-than-expected U.S. crude stock build as reported by the U.S. Energy Information
Administration on Wednesday. Underpinning the crude complex was a drop in the dollar after release of the
minutes of the Federal Reserve's most recent policy meeting. A weaker dollar tends to make it cheaper for nonU.S.
investors to buy dollar-denominated assets.
Thursday, as buoyant Chinese equity markets encouraged buying, and as Russia's military involvement in Syria
brought a geopolitical risk premium into the market. Syrian troops and allied militias backed by Russian
airstrikes and cruise missiles attacked rebel forces as the government extended a major offensive in the west. It
added to the uncertainty in the Middle East, one of world’s biggest oil-producing regions. The market shrugged
off concern about the higher-than-expected U.S. crude stock build as reported by the U.S. Energy Information
Administration on Wednesday. Underpinning the crude complex was a drop in the dollar after release of the
minutes of the Federal Reserve's most recent policy meeting. A weaker dollar tends to make it cheaper for nonU.S.
investors to buy dollar-denominated assets.