Crude-oil futures were slightly lower in Asian trade Thursday as weak fundamentals capped gains in oil prices after the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to start trimming asset purchases. On the New York Mercantile Exchange, light, sweet crude futures for delivery in January traded at $97.69 a barrel at 0532 GMT, down $0.11 in the Globex electronic session. February Brent crude on London’s ICE Futures exchange fell $0.25 to $109.38 a barrel. The U.S. Fed’s decision to trim its bond-buying program boosted oil prices overnight as commodities markets focused on signs of a strengthening domestic economy. Nymex WTI crude has settled higher for ten of the past fourteen sessions. “The Fed tapering is consistent with the fact that the U.S. economy is recovering,” National Australia Bank analyst Vyanne Lai said. Overall, it’s good news for commodities, including oil, because there is a general lift in confidence about the economic recovery, […]