West Texas Intermediate traded near its lowest closing level in five months as investors weighed a possible easing of economic stimulus in the U.S., the world’s biggest oil consumer. Crude inventories rose for a ninth week. Futures slid as much as 0.5 percent in New York. The Federal Reserve may pare its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases “in the coming months” as the economy improves, according to minutes released yesterday from the Federal Open Market Committee’s most recent meeting. U.S. crude stockpiles climbed to the highest level since June, government data show. In China , the world’s second-largest oil consumer, a preliminary manufacturing gauge missed estimates. “The market fears that there will be a dose of post-quantitative easing cold turkey and that there will be weakness across a broad swathe of the economy, including oil,” said Christopher Bellew , a senior broker at Jefferies Bache Ltd. in London […]