LONDON (Thomson Financial) - Oil turned lower after US inventory data showing a slightly larger than expected increase in crude oil stocks gave players an excuse to take profits from record high prices.
The US Energy Information Administration said crude oil stocks rose by 3.2 mln barrels last week, leaving them in the middle of the average range for this time of year. Markets were expecting stocks to rise by 2.1 mln barrels.
Although the data also showed a decline of 2.5 mln barrels in distillates, which include heating oil, the fall was roughly in line with calls for a 2.1 mln barrel drop.
As such, players were prompted to take profits after betting the crude up to record levels earlier, amid worries over rising inflation, worsening US economic prospects and a weakening dollar.
'(This) may be an example of easier fundamentals showing up in data forcing the market to take profits and retrace gains,' said New Edge analyst Antoinne Halff.
At 4.06 pm, New York's WTI crude for April delivery was down 27 cents at 100.64 usd per barrel. Earlier, it set a fresh all-time high of 102.08 usd.
Meanwhile, in London, Brent crude for April delivery was down 26 cents at 99.23 usd per barrel, having earlier risen to a new record of 100.53 usd.
Prices surged in earlier trades as the dollar held near record lows against the euro, with players fretting over a recent spate of weak US economic data, including durable goods, consumer confidence and housing data.
A weak dollar tends to boost dollar-priced oil by making it cheaper for holders of foreign currency.
In addition, poor economic readings are for now also underpinning oil as players are betting the Fed will continue cutting rates as it remains focused on growth over inflation.
Such moves should weaken the dollar further, boosting oil. Crucially however, lower interest rates mean inflation could worsen, tempting funds to pile into commodities as an inflation hedge.
'US inflation is now running at a whopping 7.4 pct on a year-over-year basis. Combine that with GDP growth readings for the last quarter of 0.6 pct, (and) we see an economic backdrop... of rising inflation and low growth, also known as stagflation,' said MF Global analyst Ed Meir.
'We should note that in this type of environment, commodities do quite well, since participants turn to hard assets to protect themselves against eroding purchasing power.'
Elsewhere, prices are being underpinned by persistent cold weather in the US Northeast -- the world's largest heating-oil market -- and by expectations OPEC will not raise production at its output meeting.
The cartel is set to meet in Vienna on March 5 to set output quotas, with most analysts expecting it will resist calls to raise output because it is worried that oil demand will slow going forward.
In addition, analysts say the declining value of the dollar is also weighing in on OPEC's decision, with some even mooting the possibility the cartel will unofficially crimp back output.
'Another concern is that OPEC will unofficially trim back supplies, while leaving official quotas unchanged at the March 5th meeting,' said MF Global analyst Mike Fitzpatrick.
'Apparently, participants expect OPEC supplies to remain tight enough to offset the prospects of sagging US demand,' he added, in reference to bets crude demand will wane should US economic growth slow further.