Gasoline Market Update

February gasoline RBG5, -3.43% turned higher, ending Thursday up less than a penny, or 0.3%, to settle at $1.3409 a gallon on Nymex. February heating oil HOG5, +0.43%  also turned higher, up 1 cent, or 0.7%, to $1.7110 a gallon on Nymex.

Gas Market Update

Natural gas prices jumped on larger-than-expected decline in inventories.

Natural gas for February NGG15, +1.61%  delivery rose nearly 6 cents, or 2%, to end at $2.9270 per million British thermal units, as stockpiles fell. Natural-gas inventories declined 131 billion cubic feet in the week ended Jan. 2, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said. Analysts polled by Platts had expected a decline between 117 bcf and 121 bcf.

U.S. oil prices rise, but Brent falls

New York-traded oil futures ended higher on Thursday, shaking off earlier weakness, while Brent prices hit fresh multi-year lows but held above $50 a barrel.

sweet crude futures for delivery in February CLG5, +0.76% rose 14 cents, or 0.3%, to settle at $48.79 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

February Brent crude LCOH5, +0.50%  on London’s ICE Futures exchange declined 19 cents, or 0.4%, to settle at $50.96 a barrel. 

Gold closes lower after choppy trading session

Gold rose from earlier lows Thursday and briefly turned positive after a slightly weaker-than-expected jobless-claims report, but still closed below its Wednesday afternoon level after a session of choppy trading as investors moved money into stocks.

Gold for February delivery GCG5, +0.30% slid $2.20, or 0.2%, to settle at $1,208.50 an ounce, while March silver SIH5, +0.06%  fell 16 cents, or 1%, to $16.39 an ounce.

Current Market Update

Here are the latest trading levels for Asia's major stock markets: 

Tokyo (Nikkei Average) up 0.3% 

 Hong Kong (Hang Seng Index) up 1% (at break) 

Shanghai (Shanghai Composite Index) up 0.3% (at break) 

 Sydney (S&P/ASX 200) up 1.4% 

 Seoul (Kospi) up 1.2% 

 Mumbai (Sensex) up 0.6% 

 Taipei (Taiex) flat