Oil traded near its lowest closing price since mid-2009 amid signs of manufacturing weakness in Europe and China . Futures headed for a sixth weekly loss in New York and London. Euro-area manufacturing expanded less than initially estimated in December as growth rates for output, new orders and employment remained near stagnation. The bloc’s currency weakened to a 4 1/2-year low against the dollar. A manufacturing gauge in China, the world’s second-largest oil consumer, fell to the weakest level in 18 months, government data showed yesterday. “China PMI was more of the same while we are seeing weaker than expected PMI in Europe,” Ole Sloth Hansen, an analyst at Saxo Bank A/S in Copenhagen, said by e-mail. “This adds to the support for the dollar. So we are kicking off 2015 with a strong dollar and weak oil theme.” Oil slumped 46 percent in New York in 2014, the […]