NNA - Crude oil prices jumped to their highest levels since 4 March following US military strikes on Yemen’s Houthi group at the Red Sea over the weekend.

During the early Asian session, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures at NYNEX rose as much as 1.5% to $68.19 per barrel, and the Brent futures at ICE jumped 1.42% to $71.58 per barrel before pulling back. The natural gas futures price also climbed nearly 1% to $4.14 per million British thermal units (MMBtu) during the same time frame.

Additionally, China announced a special plan to boost domestic consumption, alongside a slew of positive economic data, adding to the demand optimism. China’s retail sales rose 4% in the first two months of this year, accelerating from a 3.7% increase in December.--agencies 
 

===========R.H.