Who Won the U.S. Presidential Debate?

Oil prices, which were little changed in early Asian trade on Friday, were on track to end higher for a second straight week following a large cut in U.S. interest rates and declining global stockpiles.

Brent futures , which were trading 19 cents or 0.3% lower at $73.69 a barrel at 0027 GMT on Friday, gained 4.3% this week. U.S. crude , which was up 6 cents at $72.01 a barrel, has registered weekly gains of 4.8%.

The benchmarks have been recovering after they fell to near three year-lows on Sept. 10, and have registered gains in five of the seven sessions since then.

The U.S. central bank cut interest rates by half a percentage point on Wednesday. Interest rate cuts typically boost economic activity and energy demand, but some also saw the large cut as a sign of a weak U.S. labour market.

Crude inventories in the U.S., the world's top producer, fell to a one-year low last week, government data showed on Wednesday.

A counter-seasonal oil market deficit of around 400,000 barrels per day will support Brent crude prices in the $70 to $75 a barrel range during the next quarter, Citi analysts said on Thursday, but added prices could plunge in 2025.

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