U.S. oil futures touched new highs for 2016 on Friday and were set to post gains for a fifth straight week on growing optimism that major producers would strike a deal to freeze output, while a more benign interest rate environment also supported prices. U.S. crude CLc1 was up 3 cents at $40.23 barrel at 0653 GMT, after rising to as much as $40.55 – higher than the previous peak of $40.36 reached on Thursday. The benchmark had surged 4.5 percent to close at $40.20 in the prior session. Brent crude’s front-month contract LCOc1 was up 2 cents at $41.56 per barrel and earlier rose to $41.71, a new high for the year. It finished up $1.21 at $41.54 a barrel on Thursday. Both contracts have traded down at times […]