![Oil remains_0220](https://firstmetro.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Oil-remains_0220.jpg)
- Another Houthi strike on a commercial ship in the Red Sea, with tensions in the key region for crude production and trade continuing to simmer.
- West Texas Intermediate futures were little changed near $79 a barrel from Friday’s close. Brent settled above $83 on Monday. The crew of the Rubymar abandoned the vessel after the attack Sunday evening, the first such evacuation since the Yemen-based group started targeting ships late last year.
- Oil has been trapped in a tight $10-a-barrel range since the start of the year as competing bullish and bearish factors lead to a decline in volatility. Signs of poor demand — most notably from top importer China — has been countered by geopolitical tensions and efforts by OPEC+ to trim output.