Benchmark crude for December delivery rose $2.02 to $78.37 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Friday, the contract fell as low as $75.57, the cheapest since Oct. 15, before settling 59 cents down at $76.35. Stock markets in Asia and Europe rose Monday after Japan reported its economy expanded at an annual rate of 4.8 percent in the third quarter. That was the second straight quarter of expansion and the biggest rise since 2007. U.S. stock markets also were up after a new report showed retail sales rebounded more than expected in October because of a boost in auto sales. At the same time, the euro pushed back toward the $1.50 level against the dollar. Commodities such as oil and gold are priced in dollars so they become cheaper when the dollar falls. Crude prices fell last week and U.S. stock markets rose as investors started to focus more on the continued weak demand for oil. "That could be the beginning of the disconnect as the fundamentals weigh on oil," said Jim Ritterbusch of Ritterbusch and Associates. For most of the year, oil prices surged as investors pumped money into crude contracts to protect themselves from a weaker dollar. Oil was seen as a safer bet with demand expected to rise next year as the world's economies begin to recover. Prices at the pump fell 0.4 cents overnight to $2.631, according to AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service. Prices are 10.4 cents higher than a month ago and 52.6 cents higher than a year ago. In other Nymex trading, heating oil rose 4.82 cents to $2.0143 a gallon. Gasoline for December delivery gained 4.33 cents at $1.9595 a gallon. Natural gas for December delivery advanced 19.2 cents to $4.584 per 1,000 cubic feet. In London, Brent crude for December delivery rose $1.83 to $78.14 on the ICE Futures exchange. ___ Associated Press writers Pablo Gorondi in Budapest and Alex Kennedy in Singapore contributed to this report. ___

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