French President Macron pushing for a new nuclear agreement U.S. crude stocks, Cushing supplies and output rose last week Crude closed higher as investors remained laser-focused for any signals from French President Emmanuel Macron on an Iran nuclear deal, overshadowing a bearish U.S. inventory report. Futures in New York settled 0.5 percent higher on Wednesday after fluctuating during the session. Early on, data from the Energy Information Administration initially took traders by surprise, showing a larger-than-expected build in U.S. crude stockpiles. By the end of the session, investors refocused on Macron’s speech and the lingering issues around an Iran nuclear deal. “The overarching thing going on here is Iran and the countdown to May 12,” the deadline for a U.S. decision on renewing Iran’s sanctions, said Rob Thummel, managing director at Tortoise, which handles $16 billion in energy assets. “That’s what everyone’s looking for guidance on and trading on.” […]