West Texas Intermediate crude increased from a four-month low as equities advanced on corporate earnings and Chinese manufacturing data. Futures rose 0.3 percent and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index neared a record after a preliminary index of Chinese manufacturing gained more than forecast this month, while U.S. factory output expanded at a slower pace than estimated. WTI fell as much as 0.9 percent earlier on government data that showed yesterday that U.S. crude supplies gained 6.8 percent to 379.8 million barrels in the five weeks ended Oct. 18. “We dropped close to a four-month low and there was no follow through, which suggests that the $16 move down over the last two months is sputtering out,” said Gene McGillian , an analyst and broker at Tradition Energy in Stamford , Connecticut . “Inventories have climbed almost 25 million barrels in the last five weeks, which sent prices lower. […]