Oil rebounds on signs of strong US demand

NEW YORK – Oil prices rose nearly 1% on Wednesday, recovering from a sharp slide early this week, as data showed relatively strong US demand, and as investors assessed the stability of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

Brent crude futures settled 54 cents higher, or 0.8%, at USD 67.68 a barrel, while US West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) ended up 55 cents, or 0.9%, at USD 64.92, both paring some of the 13% losses made earlier in the week.

After US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire on Tuesday, Brent settled at its lowest since June 10, and WTI ended at its lowest since June 5 on the reduced Middle East supply risk.

Oil prices had rallied after June 13, when Israel launched a surprise attack on key Iranian military and nuclear facilities. Prices hit five-month highs after the US attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities over the weekend.

“While concerns regarding Middle Eastern supply have diminished for now, they have not entirely disappeared, and there remains a stronger demand for immediate supply,” said ING analysts in a client note.

Prices found support from Wednesday’s government data that showed US crude, gasoline, and distillate inventories fell last week.

Crude inventories dropped by 5.8 million barrels, data showed, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 797,000-barrel draw.

Gasoline stocks unexpectedly fell by 2.1 million barrels, compared with forecasts for a 381,000-barrel build as gasoline supplied, a proxy for demand, rose to its highest since December 2021.

“We are looking at big draws across the board,” said Phil Flynn, senior analyst with the Price Futures Group. “This type of report can refocus on US supply and demand, and less on geopolitics.”

A slew of US macroeconomic data released overnight, including data on consumer confidence, showed possibly weaker-than-expected economic growth in the world’s largest oil consumer, bolstering expectations of a Federal Reserve rate cut this year.

Oil prices will likely consolidate at around USD 65-70 per barrel levels as traders look to more US macroeconomic data this week and the Fed rate decision, said independent market analyst Tina Teng.

The market is betting that the Fed could cut US interest rates as soon as September, which would typically spur economic growth and demand for oil.

(Reporting by Stephanie Kelly; Additional reporting by Anna Hirtenstein and Trixie Yap; Editing by Marguerita Choy, David Gregorio, and Cynthia Osterman)