Bloomberg Crude Oil Caps Biggest Monthly Gain Since 1999 on Dollar Drop

May 29 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil rose, capping its biggest monthly gain in a decade, as the dollar weakened against the euro, bolstering the appeal of commodities.

Oil climbed above $66 a barrel to a six-month high as the dollar declined beyond $1.41 against the euro for the first time this year, making raw materials such as oil and gold an attractive alternative investment. Prices also gained as U.S., and Asian indicators pointed to a global economic recovery.

“The devaluation of the dollar is leading to the revaluation of energy and commodities in general,” said John Kilduff, senior vice president of energy at MF Global in New York. “This is a monetary-based rally. The market is focused on the future and ignoring the fundamentals of the present day crude-oil supply and demand picture.”

Crude oil for July delivery rose $1.23, or 1.9 percent, to $66.31 a barrel at 2:59 p.m. on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest settlement since Nov. 4. Oil advanced 30 percent in May, the biggest monthly increase since March 1999, when Asia was recovering from the 1997-1998 financial crisis. Prices climbed 7.5 percent this week and 49 percent this year.

The U.S. currency had its biggest monthly decline against the euro this year. The dollar dropped 1.4 percent to $1.4134 versus the single European currency.

Prices are also rising because of declining U.S. inventories. Crude-oil supplies fell 5.41 million barrels to 363.1 million last week, an Energy Department report showed yesterday. It was the biggest decrease since September. The drop left inventories 27 percent greater than the five-year average, up from a 23 percent surplus a week earlier.

U.S. gasoline stockpiles dropped 537,000 barrels to 203.4 million last week, the lowest since December, according to the report. more...