GLOBAL MARKETS: Asia stocks pause after 5-day rally
HONG KONG, July 5 (Reuters) - Asian stocks were steady near one-month highs on Tuesday as market players took a breather after five consecutive days of gains while the Australian dollar slipped ahead of a policy meeting of the country's central bank.
Expectations for a moderate slowdown in Asia that will bring inflation rates down has been attracting capital inflows and increasing bets on a second-half recovery in stocks. Some markets though, particularly Japan, may be ripe for some profit taking after recent gains.
OIL: Crude edges up ahead of economy data
TOKYO, July 5 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures edged up on Tuesday to remain above $95 a barrel, ahead of data gauging the strength of the world's top oil consumer.
U.S. oil inventory data from industry group the American Petroleum Institute and the government's Department of Energy will be delayed by a day to Wednesday and Thursday respectively, due to the Independence Day holiday.
NATURAL GAS: Natural gas ends down ahead of long holiday weekend
NEW YORK, July 1 (Reuters) - Front-month U.S. natural gas futures ended lower on Friday ahead of a long holiday weekend, pressured by record high production and uncertainty about the long-term weather outlook despite warm U.S. temperatures next week that should underpin prices.
"Some people are concerned about the forecast, and whether the heat will continue. It looks like the strongest heat could end by early next week, and some forecasters are only showing temps a little above normal and not the scorching weather we saw last year," a southern commodity trading advisor said.
EURO COAL: Stable prompts, futures hit resistance
LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) - European coal futures trading was dominated by technical factors in thin trading during the U.S. national holiday on Monday while the prompt market moved sideways.
The benchmark API2 2012 coal futures contract opened at $128.10 a tonne on Monday morning and
"If we can get back above the 50 DMA mark I think there is more room on the upside as a lot of traders may go long if that happens," one trader said and added: "This mood is reflected in the crossing MACD signals."
IEA sees sizeable take-up of oil release
LONDON, July 4 (Reuters) - The International Energy Agency said on Monday it hoped a very sizeable portion of its oil stock release will be taken up by the market and the move was already adding to supplies of light, sweet crude.
The IEA, adviser to 28 industrialised countries, on June 23 said it would release 60 million barrels of oil from strategic inventories to fill the gap in supplies left by the disruption to Libya's output.
Venezuela: oil policy unchanged by Chavez health
CARACAS, July 4 (Reuters) - Venezuela's energy policy is not affected by health problems suffered by President Hugo Chavez, his oil minister said on Monday.
"Our energy policy remains the same," the South American OPEC member's Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez told Reuters at a ceremony to welcome Chavez back from treatment in Cuba where he had a cancerous tumor removed.
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