Crude oil futures ended lower on Monday with traders weighing energy demand prospects in the wake of reports about spikes in coronavirus cases in Europe, and reports about several countries temporarily suspending the use of the vaccine from AstraZeneca. Oil prices fell despite China's industrial output and retail sales surged in the first two months of the year, boosting the energy demand outlook at the world's largest oil importer. Industrial production in China jumped 35.1% year-on-year in the period including January and February - beating forecasts for an increase of 30%.
Crude oil futures for April slipped $0.22 or about 0.3 percent to settle at $65.39 barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. May Brent crude fell $0.45 or 0.65 percent to settle at $68.77 a barrel on London's Intercontinental Exchange.