Oil prices edged higher on Friday on worries about Middle East tensions, offset by a flagging global economic growth outlook amid the U.S.-China trade war.
Brent crude futures LCOc1 were up 7 cents, or 0.1%, at $63.46 a barrel by 0457 GMT. They rose 0.3% in the previous session, Reuters said.
Read alsoReuters: Oil edges higher on U.S. inventory decline, escalating Mideast tensions
U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 was 18 cents higher, or 0.3%, at $56.20 a barrel, after gaining 0.25% overnight.
"Growing challenges in the macroeconomic environment have kept bullish bets in check as risk appetites remain soft over potential weakness in global fuel demand," said Benjamin Lu, commodities analyst at Singapore-based brokerage Phillip Futures.
A global economic growth rut risks deepening, despite expectations that major central banks will cut rates or ease policy further, according to Reuters polls of over 500 economists who remain worried about the U.S.-China trade war.
Increasing pessimism is clear from the latest polls taken July 1-24, which show the growth outlook for nearly 90% of over 45 economies polled was either downgraded or left unchanged. That applied not just to this year but also 2020.
While concerns over Middle East supply disrputions have led to recent price spikes, oil has generally been under pressure from worries about global economic growth amid growing signs of harm from the rumbling Sino-U.S. trade war over the past year.
