Oil fell below $71 a barrel after the biggest drop in four weeks as traders weighed prospects for a stronger dollar against rising demand. West Texas Intermediate was 0.4% lower after sinking 1.5% on Thursday amid a broad, copper-to-gold commodities sell-off. The losses in raw materials followed the Federal Reserve’s midweek signal it will in time end the ultra-easy policy brought in to rescue the U.S. economy from the pandemic. That aided the dollar, hurting the appeal of commodities priced in the currency. Despite the retreat, the U.S. crude benchmark is only narrowly lower this week, supported by signs of robust consumption and falling stockpiles. With the roll-out of coronavirus vaccines boosting mobility, especially in the U.S., Europe and China, optimism about the outlook is reflected in the market’s still-bullish pricing patterns, with near-term oil contracts above those further out. Oil has rallied in 2021 on surging demand coupled […]