Crude oil futures ended higher on Thursday on reports about China's central bank seeking to boost the economy. The People's Bank of China said that it would keep liquidity reasonably ample and maintain precise and forceful policy to support economic recovery against headwinds. The bank said that it will better leverage the dual functions of aggregate and structural monetary policy tools and firmly support the recovery and development of the real economy.
Benchmark crude oil futures for September delivery rose $1.01 or about 1.3 percent to settle at $80.39 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for October delivery gained $0.67 or 0.80 percent to settle at $84.12 a barrel on London's Intercontinental Exchange.