RTRS: Crude futures hold losses after economic data
(Reuters) - Crude oil futures prices held losses on Thursday after reports showed initial jobless claims fell slightly last week, in line with expectations, housing starts rose in November and the nation's current account deficit widened in the third quarter.
Crude prices were down about 40 cents on the day ahead of the economic reports amid concerns about the euro zone economy.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, January crude fell 37 cents, or 0.42 percent, to $88.25 a barrel at 8:37 p.m. EST (1337 GMT), trading from $87.94 to $88.65.
