Oil prices dropped sharply and unexpectedly in two stages during January.  Prices declined by 16% from the start of the year to close January just above $51 per barrel.  The following graph shows the daily price movements over the past three months: The dramatic decline in January followed a tense period in December with rising oil prices.  Near the end

Oil prices continued climbing higher throughout December, gaining over 10% to close the month and year at $61 per barrel.  Over the past year, oil increased by more than 33%.  The following graph shows the daily price movements over the past three months: During December, two primary factors caused oil prices to move higher.  The first, during early December, was

Oil prices slowly climbed higher throughout November but gave back most of their gains at the end of the month.  Prices opened the month near $54 and closed just over $55 per barrel.  The following graph shows the daily price movements over the past three months: There were no significant developments in November that drove prices gradually higher.  The main

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Oil prices traded in a very narrow range during most of October following a short period of significant volatility during September.  October’s prices opened and closed the month at just over $54 per barrel.  The following graph shows the daily price movements over the past three months: September’s volatility was caused by an attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil refining facilities

September had a volatile period for oil prices following a relatively stable stretch for most of August.  The month opened with prices near $55 per barrel but sharply increased to over $62 during mid-September.  Shortly after the spike, prices quickly fell back to the mid-$50’s and remained in that range.  By the end of the month, prices closed just over

August opened with oil prices just over $58 per barrel but they fell sharply during the first week of the month.  By the 7th of the month, prices hit their lowest point at $51 and then started to rebound.  For the remainder of the month, prices traded in a narrow range near $55 which is where the month finally closed. 

The month of July opened with oil prices approaching $60 per barrel.  By the 10th of the month, prices climbed slightly over $60 and remained at that level for a few days.  However, prices fell back to the mid-$50’s as the second half of the month started.  Prices subsequently traded in a narrow range near $56 during the last 10

Oil prices hovered near $53 per barrel for most of June, then quickly increased toward $60 during the last 10 days of the month.  Prices closed the month at over $58 after increasing $5 during late June, or 9%.  Overall, prices are up almost 30% since the start of the year.  The following graph shows the daily price movements over

Oil prices traded in a narrow range near $62 per barrel for most of May, then quickly fell back to the high-$50’s on May 23rd.  Prices collapsed even further at the end of the month, closing May at $53.50.  Overall, prices fell by 16% during May but are still up by 13% since the start of the year.  The following