CL
Crude oil prices jumped to fresh 2015 peaks on Thursday, turning higher on news that a tribal group made up of former Al Qaeda militants took control of a major southern oil terminal in Yemen. The terminal is one of the major hubs for the Hadramout region exporting an average of 120,000 to 140,000 barrels per day of crude from fields in the area. While a relatively minor oil producer, Yemen's escalating conflict raises concerns about neighboring top oil exporter Saudi Arabia.
GOLD
Gold prices rose to the highest levels of the session on Thursday, following the release of disappointing data on U.S. jobless claims and building permits. In a report, the U.S. Department of Labor said the number of individuals filing for initial jobless benefits in the week ending April 11 increased by 12,000 to 294,000 from the previous week’s total of 282,000. Analyst expected initial jobless claims to fall by 2,000 to 280,000 last week. Separately, the U.S. Commerce Department said that the number of building permits issued in March declined by 5.7% last month to 1.039 million units from February’s total of 1.102 million. Analysts expected building permits to fall by 2.0% to 1.080 million units in March.