LONDON (Reuters) – UK-based asset manager Cardwell has been betting on rising grain prices in recent weeks and plans to stick with that position as long as its computer models signal that prices have further to climb as a U.S. drought hurts crop forecasts.

Although agricultural commodities had been been out of favour with investors for a year, adverse weather conditions over the past month in major grain-growing countries such as the United States and Russia have lifted prices in the wheat and corn markets.

LONDON (Reuters) – European oil refiners could be doubly disadvantaged by EU plans to make them pay for some of their carbon emissions from January 2013 due to rising competition from cheap foreign imports and non-European-owned refiners inside the EU.

Struggling EU refiners are already worried that moves to make them pay for carbon emission credits from January 1, 2013 will put them at an operational cost disadvantage to refineries outside the EU.

LONDON (Reuters) – Oil prices held just under $97, with investors and traders reluctant to add to positions ahead of a meeting on Thursday of oil producer group OPEC and Greek elections at the weekend.

Traders are looking for any change in OPEC’s output policy given that some view the market as over-supplied, while the Greek election result should deliver some clarity as to whether Greece will stay in the euro.

LONDON (Reuters) – Oil fell towards $102 on Thursday as disappointing data from the United States and India fuelled nervousness around the global demand outlook, compounding eurozone worries and putting oil on course for its biggest monthly percentage drop in two years.

Brent crude futures for July delivery were down $1.19 at $102.28 per barrel by 10:06 a.m. EDT (1406 GMT), after hitting a new seven-month low at $102.07. Prices were on track for the biggest monthly loss since May 2010, after slipping 3 percent on Thursday.

LONDON (Reuters) – Oil fell towards $103 on Thursday as disappointing data from the United States and India fuelled nervousness around the global demand outlook, compounding eurozone worries and putting oil on course for its biggest monthly percentage drop in two years.

Brent crude futures for July delivery were down 31 cents at $103.16 per barrel by 1255 GMT, after hitting a new five-month low at $102.78. Prices were on track for a monthly loss of around 13 percent, the biggest since May 2010, after slipping 3 percent on Thursday.

LONDON, May 31 (Reuters) – Oil edged up near $104 on
Thursday as buyers moved back in after Wednesday’s heavy sell
off, but continuing nervousness around the demand outlook and
the eurozone crisis kept oil on course for its biggest monthly
percentage drop in two years.

Brent crude futures for July delivery were up 50
cents at $103.97 per barrel by 0945 GMT, off a low of $102.90
hit earlier in the session. Prices were on track for a monthly
loss of around 13 percent, the biggest since May 2010, after
slipping 3 percent on Thursday.

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) – Oil prices slipped towards $107 a
barrel on Friday as investors fled risky, growth-sensitive
assets on fears that Greece would leave the euro, although
short-covering provided some support for Brent.

Brent crude was down 16 cents to $107.33 a barrel by
1348 GMT after slipping to its lowest level for the year at
$106.40 earlier in the session. U.S. crude was down 67
cents to $92.89.

LONDON, May 18 (Reuters) – Oil prices slipped below $107 a
barrel on Friday and hit a 2012 low as investors fought shy of
riskier, growth-oriented assets on fears that Greece would leave
the euro, and after a downgrade of 16 Spanish banks by Moody’s
added to the gloom.

Brent crude was down 59 cents to $106.90 by 0849 GMT
after earlier slipping to its lowest level for the year at
$106.40. U.S. crude was down 7 cents to $92.49.

LONDON (Reuters) – A sell-off in energy equities triggered by the fall in crude oil prices and risk-averse investors hugging defensive sectors is creating some attractive bargains, said Lombard Odier fund manager Michael Hulme.

“The market seems to be anticipating a Greek exit from the euro and that has taken energy stocks down much further than seems to be justified, but we have a large number of companies on the substitutes bench that are getting to mouth-wateringly cheap levels,” said Hulme, manager of the Lombard Odier Global Energy Fund.

LONDON (Reuters) – Oil industry executives and bankers are assuming oil prices will stay above $100 a barrel in the year ahead, despite mounting economic worries, as any fall below that level would trigger a cut in Saudi Arabia’s output and force closures at high-cost projects around the world.

A straw poll by Reuters of oil executives, traders, bankers and fund managers showed seven respondents predicting Brent crude trading at $100-$120 a barrel in the next 12 months. Four respondents saw prices at $120-$140 and only four at $80-$100.