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Oil costs roughly flat as uncertain demand scenario weighed

Oil costs meandered on Friday as financiers pondered slowing demand projection by a prominent group and weak U.S. retail sales data that sparked optimism about U.S. interest rate cuts.

Brent crude futures dropped 11 cents, or 0.1%, to $ 82.75 a barrel at 0131 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 1 cent to $78.04 a barrel.

Both agreements climbed over 1% on Thursday as a. larger-than-expected drop in U.S. retail sales prompted hopes. the Federal Reserve will quickly begin cutting interest rates in. coming months, which might be positive for oil demand.

The U.S. Commerce Department report revealed retail sales. dropped 0.8% in January, the biggest fall given that February 2023. Financial experts polled had forecast retail sales dipping. 0.1%.

Hopes for U.S. rate cuts supplied support on Thursday. financiers are now changing their positions ahead of a long. weekend in the U.S., stated Hiroyuki Kikukawa, president of NS. Trading, a system of Nissan Securities, noting Feb. 19 is a U.S. holiday.

While keeping a close eye on rate of interest trends,. investors will continue to assess whether geopolitical dangers in. the Middle East will overflow into unrefined supply chains, he. said, forecasting WTI to sell the $70-$ 80 variety for a while.

Weighing on market sentiment, Paris-based International. Energy Firm (IEA), the industrialised world's energy watchdog,. said on Thursday global oil demand growth is losing momentum and. trimmed its 2024 development projection, in sharp contrast to the view. held by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. ( OPEC).

The IEA's month-to-month report stated it expects international oil demand. to grow by 1.22 million barrels daily (bpd) this year,. slightly below last month's quote. OPEC on Tuesday stuck. to its much steeper growth forecast at 2.25 million bpd.

In the Middle East, Hezbollah stated on Thursday it fired. dozens of rockets at a northern Israeli town in a preliminary. reaction to the killing of 10 civilians in southern Lebanon,. the most dangerous day for Lebanese civilians in 4 months of. cross-border hostilities.

Israeli forces said on Thursday they had raided. the most significant working hospital in Gaza as footage revealed. mayhem, shouting and gunfire in dark corridors filled with dust. and smoke.

(source: Reuters)