commodities

Bad news for java lovers. The rising demand and reduced supply of coffee means higher prices per cup. Colombia, the second-largest producer of mild arabica coffee bought by companies such as Starbucks Corp. (NASDAQ:SBUX) and Nes

Crude oil fell to a two-week low as concern that damage from Japan’s earthquake may limit crude demand outweighed speculation of supply disruptions in the Middle East, reports Bloomberg. Crude oil for April delivery fell $3.79,

Light sweet crude for April delivery rose $0.91, or just under 1%, to $102.82 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, after climbing as high as $103.57, the highest level since Sept. 29, 2008. Brent crude on the ICE also gai

Prices had eased slightly Thursday following reports that Venezuela president Hugo Chavez would help mediate the crisis in Libya.

Oil prices continue to climb, reaching their highest level in two and a half years at over $103 a barrel, as political upheaval in Libya does not look to ease anytime soon.

Citigroup believes Transocean (RIG), Noble Corporation (NE) and Diamond Offshore (DO) are positioned to benefit the most from the resumption of Gulf of Mexico deepwater drilling permits. The firm reiterates Buy rating on all three

General Mills now trades at a discount to the rest of the sector, and possesses a rich $1.12 per share annual dividend.

A Barron's feature report on big American food makers touted General Mills (NYSE:GIS) as the company best positioned in the sector to benefit from the recent spike in agricultural commodities by passing on the increased costs to c

The firm has a $95 target on company shares.

Shares of National Oilwell (NOV) are higher in pre-market trading as the company is reportedly initiated with an Outperform at Morgan Keegan.

The Energy Information Administration reported a 1.9-million-barrel gain in crude inventories, short of the 2.4-million-barrel increase forecast by analysts polled by Platt's, which tracks oil markets.

Gasoline supplies also gained 4.7 million barrels for the week, topping analysts who were looking for a consensus gain of 3.1 million barrels.

"Crude oil for March delivery is closing in on $88 a barrel after getting some lift from the latest report on domestic oil stockpiles, which rose less than expected for the week ended Feb. 4.

U.S. weekly jobless claims rose more than expected and the Department of Energy data reported an unexpectedly sharp build in U.S. crude inventories, which indicates slow demand. The DoE said inventories jumped 4.8 million barrels

Commodities ended trading lower with crude oil and gold futures finishing in the red. Crude oil in particular was pressured by a larger-than-expected increase in weekly jobless claims and supply data.

Gold fell Friday as it looks to be headed toward its third straight weekly loss on speculation that interest rates will rise with an economic recovery.