Oil rose slightly on Wednesday, with Brent trading near $80 a barrel, as a Chinese economic stimulus package and geopolitical tensions were countered by concerns over tepid demand and a stronger dollar.
The front-month March contract for Brent crude was up 40 cents to $79.95 a barrel at 1410 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 57 cents to $74.94 a barrel.
China’s central bank will cut the amount of cash that banks must hold as reserves from Feb. 5, governor Pan Gongsheng said on Wednesday, the first such cut for the year as policymakers extend efforts to shore up a fragile economic recovery.
