Oil could hit $60 before year-end -Barron's, citing Citi analyst

REUTERS - Accelerating world oil demand and reduced supply from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) could push crude prices up to $60 a barrel before the end of the year, according to a report from Barron's. The report cites research from Citigroup senior energy analyst Eric Lee, who previously called for a bear market in oil when the price was above $100. The decline in recent weeks to a low of just over $44 for Brent crude, the international benchmark, has made Lee a short-term bull, Barron's notes. Lee projects demand of 97.3 million barrels a day in 2017, a record high, up from 96 million in 2016, driven largely by emerging market countries such as China and India. Simultaneously, reduction in supply from OPEC of about 0.7 million barrels a day versus the 2016 average should drive the price up before the end of the fourth quarter. A decline in global oil inventories began after the first quarter, and Lee projects that it will continue at an accelerated rate through the end of this year. Astrology and Numerology Trading Tips