Oil Holds Losses as OPEC Uncertainty Adds to Weak U.S. Outlook

(Bloomberg) — Oil held losses as OPEC and its allies continue to struggle to set a date to discuss an extension to supply cuts and as U.S. economic indicators signal weakening demand.

Futures were little changed in New York after retreating 1.1% on Monday. After talks with his Russian counterpart, Iran’s Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said he was willing to holds talks in July, one week later than the timing proposed by other group members. A Federal Reserve gauge for factories signaled a record slowdown in June, while sentiment among U.S. homebuilders unexpectedly dropped for the first time all year.

Oil has lost about 22% since late April as growing American inventories and an entrenched trade dispute between the U.S. and China continue to cloud the demand outlook. While last week’s attacks on two tankers near the Strait of Hormuz raised concerns about a disruption to crude flows, focus has returned to the struggle by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries to fix a meeting on supply cuts that are due to expire at the end of the month.

“Crude remains vulnerable on falling demand expectations from trade uncertainty and OPEC’s inability to solidify its curtailment of future production,” Ed Moya, chief market strategist at Oanda Corp., said in a note. “U.S. factory and housing data showed the world’s largest economy is slowing down faster than expected.”

West Texas Intermediate for July delivery slipped 10 cents to $51.83 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange as of 10:25 a.m. Singapore time. The contract ended Monday 1.1% lower at $51.93 after capping a 2.7% weekly loss on Friday.

Brent for August settlement lost 11 cents to $60.83 a barrel on London’s ICE Futures Europe Exchange. Futures slid $1.07 to close at $60.94 on Monday. The global benchmark crude traded at a $8.76 premium to WTI for the same month.

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