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Natural gas NGF15, +0.77% fell 7 cents, or 1.9%, to $3.6340 per million British thermal units. That snapped a two-session winning streak.
Earlier Thursday, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that U.S. supplies of natural gas had declined 51 billion cubic feet in the week ended Dec. 5. Analysts had expected a decline around 45 bcf.
January heating oil HOF5, -0.26% bucked the trend to gain 1.5 cent, or 0.7%, to end at $2.0614 a gallon. Heating oil on Wednesday hit its lowest finish since September 2010.
Oil prices slumped further Thursday, with the U.S. crude benchmark settling under $60 a barrel for the first time in more than five years.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude for delivery in January CLF5, -1.03% fell 99 cents, or 1.6%, to settle at $59.95 a barrel. That marked the lowest settlement since July 14, 2009 for a front-month contract. The U.S. oil benchmark has dropped 44% from its June 20 high.
January Brent crude LCOF5, -0.28% slid 56 cents, or 0.9%, to settle at $63.68 a barrel on London’s ICE Futures exchange. The European oil benchmark finished at its lowest level since July 16, 2009.
Gold prices slid for a second session on Thursday as a strong report on retail sales hit haven demand and helped U.S stocks.
Gold for February delivery GCG5, -0.16% fell $3.80, or 0.3%, to settle at $1,225.60 an ounce. March silver SIH5, -0.04% dropped 8 cents, or 0.4%, to settle at $17.11 an ounce.
Here are the latest trading levels for Asia's major stock markets:
Tokyo (Nikkei Average) up 1.4%
Hong Kong (Hang Seng Index) up 0.1% (at break)
Shanghai (Shanghai Composite Index) flat (at break)
Sydney (S&P/ASX 200) down 0.1%
Seoul (Kospi) up 0.3%
Mumbai (Sensex) up 0.2%
Taipei (Taiex) up 0.4%
Asian markets mostly rose on Friday at the end of a painful week for global shares, as a strong report on US retail sales lifted spirits and Wall Street, while the dollar fought back against the yen's recent revival.
Oil prices continued to tumble after New York's main contract sank through the US$60-a-barrel mark in US trade for the first time in more than five years.
Tokyo rose 1.27 per cent on the back of the yen's retreat, while Seoul added 0.32 per cent, Shanghai edged up 0.12 per cent and Hong Kong was 0.24 per cent higher but Sydney eased 0.38 per cent.
Global markets have been buffeted by profit-taking this week, while Shanghai has swung wildly after racking up more than 20 per cent since the middle of November.
