Oil Closes Near $70 a Barrel

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Crude oil rose to near $70 a barrel Thursday before receding to close the trading day at just under $69 on the New York Mercantile Exchange, Bloomberg reported.

Crude futures gained $2.69, or 4.1%, to close the Nymex trading day at $68.81 a barrel, a seven-month high, Bloomberg said.

The increase was due in part to a report by analyst firm Goldman Sachs Group that said prices could reach $85 by the end of the year as demand recovers and supplies shrink.

Futures hit $69.60 earlier in the day before retreating and oil has risen 54% this year, Bloomberg reported.