Bloomberg Oil Little Changed Around $78 on Forecast U.S. Supplies Grew

Oct. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil was little changed around $78 a barrel in New York before a report forecast to show that U.S. crude inventories expanded for a third week.

An Energy Department report due tomorrow will probably show that U.S. stockpiles of crude oil rose 1.5 million barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg News survey. Analysts forecast that supplies of gasoline and distillate fuel, a category that includes heating oil and diesel, declined last week.

“It’s overvalued and it may be time for a correction,” said Carsten Fritsch, an analyst with Commerzbank AG in Frankfurt. “The fundamental picture is bearish. Demand outside China is still weak and global stockpiles are ample.”

Crude oil for December delivery was at $78.55 a barrel, down 13 cents, at 8:49 a.m. London time. Yesterday, it dropped 2.3 percent to close at $78.68 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the biggest decline since Sept. 24 and the lowest settlement since Oct. 16.

Prices have gained 76 percent this year and reached a one- year high of $82 a barrel on Oct. 21.

“The upper limit is at $82 at the moment,” said Ken Hasegawa, a commodity derivatives sales manager at brokers Newedge in Tokyo. “Unless there is a collapse in the economy, this market would be supported at around $75 a barrel.” more...