20121106 1126 Global Markets & Energy Related News.

GLOBAL MARKETS-Asian shares steady in range, wary before US election
TOKYO, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Asian shares steadied with investor risk appetite curbed by uncertainty over the outcome of Tuesday's tight U.S. presidential election and renewed doubts over Greece's political ability to push fiscal reforms.
"The main focus is the U.S. election, and uncertainty ahead of that is going to keep markets, including Japanese stocks, in a range," said Kenichi Hirano, operating officer at Tachibana Securities.

OIL-Brent crude jumps nearly 2 pct as US gasoline rallies
NEW YORK, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Brent crude jumped nearly 2 percent on Monday, snapping a string of five lower settlements as stronger U.S. gasoline futures helped oil to rally while storm-ravaged areas of the East Coast continued to grapple with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
"The complex popped near the close reportedly on a flare up of Middle East tensions along the Yemeni border," Jim Ritterbusch, president at Ritterbusch & Associates, said in a research note.

POLL-US crude inventories seen up, products down due to Sandy
Nov 5 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil inventories are forecast to have risen while product stocks fell last week after disruptions to pipelines, imports and refineries caused by Hurricane Sandy upended trade, a preliminary Reuters poll of analysts showed on Monday.
Crude inventories were seen up 0.9 million barrels for the week ended Nov. 2. Five of the seven analysts polled forecast a build in crude stockpiles, while one analyst saw them unchanged and two forecast a draw.

NATURAL GAS - Front U.S. natgas futures end flat, cold snap supports
NEW YORK, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Front-month U.S. natural gas futures ended flat on Monday, as prices garnered support from some chilly weather this week that should boost demand for heating despite ongoing concerns about record-high supplies.
"We've got some good (cold) weather for the next couple of days, but the forecast after that is near to above normal. With inventories at record highs, it's hard to talk about a significant rally," said Tom Saal at INTL FCStone in Miami.