oil

Russian moves to limit Ukrainian gas supplies might appear to the outside world to be merely a political move, but any decision to play politics in the current "energy wars" has far reaching and potential long-term consequences in the investment market....

The FTSE 100 Index rose 62.70 points, or 1.12%, to 5681.5 at its close a short while ago BP and Royal Dutch Shell leading the advance as concern about disruptions to Russian natural-gas deliveries sent energy prices higher.

The FTSE 100 Index has risen 19.7 points, or 0.4%, to 5642.5 so far this morning led by commodities companies BP, BHP Billiton and Anglo American as oil trades near $60 a barrel and gold prices increase.

The FTSE 100 index of leading shares has gained 5.1 points, or 0.1% to 5331.90, so far in morning trading.

MOTORISTS ARE being warned petrol prices are now certain to pass £1 a litre over the next few days as Hurricane Katrina has wiped out many of the oil refineries on the US Gulf coast, reports the Guardian .

Continued pressure from the price of oil could eventually hit the economy, say fund managers, as falling reserves and increased demand are likely to push the price to $100 a barrel in 2006.

In London, UK share prices advanced for a seventh day, paced by energy companies including Shell and BP after oil topped $60 a barrel for a second day.

BRITIAN'S RETIREMENT age will "undoubtedly" rise in an attempt to plug a looming hole in the country's pension funding, says the Guardian this morning.

When IFAs makes portfolio diversification remmendations, mining stocks are probably not the first sector that springs to mind.

The US economy is expected to remain relatively strong now the election is over, but consumer spending and pressure on the oil price are likely to determine how stock markets fare over the coming year, suggests Gil Knight, senior US fund manager of the...