Lowe's (LOW) (TSO) (HME) (PLCE) (RAX) (REGN) Ratings, Price Targets

Lowe's (NYSE:LOW), Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO), Home Properties (NYSE:HME), Children's Place (NASDAQ:PLCE), Rackspace (NYSE:RAX) and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ:REGN) had ratings and price targets on them adjusted by analysts.

Home Properties (HME) had its price target raised by UBS (NYSE:UBS) to $57.00. They have a "Sell" rating on the company.

Lowe's (LOW) had its price target raised by Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) to $29.00.

Children's Place (PLCE) was cut from the "Best Ideas List" of Janney Montgomery.

Rackspace (RAX) has its price target raised by Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) to $60.00. They have an "Overweight" rating on the company.
Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN) had its price target boosted by Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) to $127.00. They have a "Buy" rating on the company.

Tesoro Corporation (TSO) had its price target raised by Oppenheimer (NYSE:OPY) to $33.00. They have an "Outperform" rating on the company.

THQ (THQI) (TSO) (UTIW) (ADTN) (CLR) Downgraded

THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI), Tesoro Co. (NYSE: TSO), UTi Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ: UTIW), ADTRAN, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTN) and Continental Resources, Inc. (NYSE: CLR) were downgraded by analysts.

THQ Inc. (THQI) was downgraded by Cowen from an “Outperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Tesoro Co. (TSO) was downgraded by Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) from an “Outperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They have a price target of $35.00 on the company.

UTi Worldwide Inc. (UTIW) was downgraded by SunTrust (NYSE:STI) from a “Buy” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

ADTRAN, Inc. (ADTN) was downgraded by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) from a “Neutral” rating to a “Sell” rating. They have a price target of $29.00 on the company.

Continental Resources, Inc. (CLR) was downgraded by Howard Weil from an “Outperform” rating to a “Market Perform” rating. They have a price target of $79.00 on the company.

Tesoro (TSO) (TTP) (TXI) (ALLT) (ATR) (AZO) Ratings, Price Targets

Tesoro Co. (TSO), Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. (TTP), Texas Industries (TXI), Allot Communications Ltd. (ALLT), Aptargroup Inc. (ATR) and AutoZone, Inc. (AZO) ratings and price targets.

Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) downgraded Tesoro Co. (TSO) from an “Outperform” rating to a “Neutral” rating. They have a price target of $35.00 on the company.

Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. (TTP). They placed an “Outperform” rating on the company.

Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) initiated coverage on Texas Industries (TXI). They placed an “underperform” rating and a $22.00 price target on the company.

Jefferies initiated coverage on Allot Communications Ltd. (ALLT). They placed a “Buy” rating on the company.

Credit Suisse initiated coverage on Aptargroup Inc. (ATR). They placed a “Neutral” rating and a price target of $54.00 on the company.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) reiterated its “Equal Weight” rating on AutoZone, Inc. (AZO).

Century (CENX) (RS) (DROOY) (FUN) (TSO) (TEF) (DHI) (LEN) (MSL) Upgraded

Century Aluminum (NASDAQ:CENX), Reliance Steel (NYSE:RS), DRDGOLD (NASDAQ:DROOY), Cedar Fair (NYSE:FUN), Tesoro (NYSE:TSO), Telefonica S.A. (NYSE:TEF), DR Horton (NYSE:DHI), Lennar (NYSE:LEN) and Midsouth Bancorp (AMEX:MSL) get upgraded by analysts.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) upgraded Century Aluminum (CENX) from a "Neutral" rating to a "Sell" rating.

Goldman Sachs upgraded Reliance Steel (RS) from a "Neutral" rating to a "Buy" rating.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) upgraded DRDGOLD (DROOY) from an "Underweight" rating to an "Equal Weight" rating.

Keybanc Capital upgraded Cedar Fair (FUN) from a "Hold" rating to a "Buy" rating.

RBC Capital upgraded Tesoro (TSO) from a "Sector Perform" rating to an "Outperform" rating.

Sandord Bernstein upgraded Telefonica S.A. (TEF) from an "Underperform" rating to a "Market Perform" rating.

UBS (NYSE:UBS) upgraded DR Horton (DHI) from a "Neutral" rating to a "Buy" rating.

UBS upgraded Lennar (LEN) from a "Neutral" rating to a "Buy" rating.

Raymond James (NYSE:RJF) upgraded Midsouth Bancorp (MSL) from a "Market Perform" rating to a "Strong Buy" rating.

Century (CENX) (DHI) (FUN) (LEN) (NUS) (RS) (TSO) Upgraded

Century Aluminum (NASDAQ:CENX), D.R. Horton (NYSE:DHI), Cedar Fair (NYSE:FUN), Lennar (NYSE:LEN), Nu Skin (NYSE:NUS), Reliance Steel (NYSE:RS) and Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO) upgraded by analysts.

Century Aluminum (CENX) was upgraded by Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) from a "Sell" rating to a "Neutral" rating. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

D.R. Horton (DHI) was upgraded by UBS (NYSE:UBS) from a "Neutral" rating to a "Buy" rating. They have a price target of $13 on the company.

Cedar Fair (FUN) was upgraded by KeyBanc from a "Hold" rating to a "Buy" rating. They have a price target of $25 on the company.

Lennar (LEN) was upgraded by UBS from a "Neutral" rating to a "Buy" rating. They have a price target of $21 on the company.

Nu Skin (NUS) was upgraded by Wedbush Securities from a "Neutral" rating to an "Outperform" rating. They have a price target of $48 on the company.

Reliance Steel (RS) was upgraded to a "Buy" rating by Goldman Sachs.

Tesoro Corporation (TSO) was upgraded by RBC Capital Markets from a "Sector Perform" rating to an "Outperform" rating. They raised their price target on the company from $28 to $30.

Newmont (NEM) (ANV) (STRA) (TSO) (ATRC) (CACI) Upgraded

Newmont Mining Co. (NYSE: NEM), Allied Nevada Gold Corp. (NYSE: ANV), Strayer Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: STRA), Tesoro Co. (NYSE: TSO), AtriCure (NASDAQ: ATRC) and CACI International Inc (NASDAQ: CACI) upgraded by analysts.

Newmont Mining Co. (NEM) was upgraded by RBC Capital from a “Positive” rating to an “Underperform” rating. They have a price target of $87.00 on the company, up from $67.00.

Allied Nevada Gold Corp. (ANV) was upgraded by RBC Capital from a “Positive” rating to an “Outperform” rating. They have a price target of $67.00 on the stock, up from $44.00.

Strayer Education, Inc. (STRA) was upgraded by Sterne Agee from a “Sell” rating to a “Neutral” rating.

Tesoro Co. (TSO) was upgraded by The Benchmark Company from a “Sell” rating to a “Buy” rating. They have a price target of $25.00 on the company.

AtriCure (ATRC) was upgraded by Morgan Keegan from a “Market Perform” rating to an “Outperform” rating. They have a price target of $13.00 on the company, down from $14.00.

CACI International Inc. (CACI) was upgraded by Jefferies (NYSE:JEF)from an “Underperform” rating to a “Hold” rating. They have a price target of $54.00 on the company, down from $56.00.

Tesoro (TSO) (K) (RIMM) (DUK) (HPQ) EPS Estimates Changed

Tesoro Co. (NYSE: TSO), Kellogg (NYSE: K), Research In Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM), Duke Energy Co. (NYSE: DUK) and Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) EPS estimates adjusted by analysts.

UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) raised its EPS estimates on Tesoro Co. (TSO). They have a “Neutral” rating and a price target of $25.00 on the company.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) cut its EPS estimates on Kellogg (K). They have a “Buy” rating and a price target of $62.00 on the company. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

Sterne Agee cut its EPS estimates on Research In Motion (RIMM). They have a “Neutral” rating and a price target of $23.00 on the company.

Credit Suisse (NYSE:CS) raised its EPS estimates on Duke Energy Co. (DUK). They have a “Neutral” rating and a price target of $19.00 on the company.

Barclays Capital cut its EPS estimates on Hewlett-Packard (HPQ). They have an “Equal Weight” rating and a price target $37.00 on the company.

Crimson (CXPO) (CRZO) (SLB) (TSO) (PTR) Trading Mixed

Shares of Crimson Exploration (NASDAQ:CXPO), Carrizo Oil & Gas (NASDAQ:CRZO), Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB), Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO) and PetroChina (NYSE:PTR) were trading mixed today as oil prices were trading down in the session.

Crude-oil futures were trading down $0.79 to $97.65 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

U. S. crude oil prices also gained some back from earlier losses spurred by comments from the German Bundesbank, which said growth in Europe's largest economy will probably slow down.

Shares of oil companies like BP (NYSE:BP), Anadarko (NYSE:APC), Transocean and Cameron International (NYSE:CAM), all of which were connected to the Gulf oil spill, were all trading up on news of the settlement between BP and Macondo Well partner Mitsui (OTC:MITSY).

PetroChina (PTR) was trading at $134.43, gaining $1.13, or 0.85 percent, as of 2:33 PM EDT. Tesoro Corporation (TSO) was at $23.96, down $0.11, or 0.46 percent. Schlumberger (SLB) was trading at $84.15, up $0.57, or 0.68 percent. Carrizo Oil & Gas (CRZO) was at $35.61, gaining $0.44, or 1.27 percent. Cameron International (CAM) was trading at $3.92, falling $0.01, or 0.25 percent.

Coverage on (GNC) (TLLP) (UNP) (UPS) Initiated

Coverage on shares of GNC Corp. (NYSE: GNC), Tesoro Logistics LP (NASDAQ: TLLP), Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) and United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS) was initiated by analysts.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) initiated coverage on GNC Corp. (GNC). They placed a “neutral” rating and a price target of $22.00 on the company. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) initiated coverage on GNC Corp. (GNC). They placed an “overweight” rating and a price target of $23.00 on the company.

Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Tesoro Logistics LP (TLLP). They placed an “outperform” rating and a price target of $30.00 on the company.

Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Union Pacific (UNP). They placed a “market perform” rating and a price target of $105.00 on the company.

Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS). They placed an “outperform” rating and a price target of $88.00 on the company.

Brigham (BEXP) (ECA) (TSO) (DVN) (HES) Up on Lower Gas Inventory

Shares of oil companies Brigham Exploration (NASDAQ:BEXP), Encana Corp. (NYSE:ECA), Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO), Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN) and Hess Corporation (NYSE:HES) were trading up today after a report from the Energy Information Administration saying gas inventory was up less than expected and oil inventory was flat.

Light, sweet crude West Texas Intermediate oil for June delivery is up $3.61 to $100.52 a barrel on the Nymex.

Brent crude July contracts rose $2.74 to $112.73 a barrel.

This could be an indicator that refinery demand may possibly be on the rebound.

MF Global wrote in a note to clients, “We think oil prices will continue to erode and we still think $90 is a reasonable short-term target on WTI, although short-term, we are getting a tad oversold and may be in for a bounce here.”

Brigham Exploration (BEXP) was trading at $29.03, up $1.58, or 5.76 percent. Encana Corp. (ECA) was at $32.77, gaining $0.33, or 1.02 percent. Tesoro Corporation (TSO) was trading at $24.23, rising $0.82, or 3.48 percent. Hess Corporation (HES) was trading at $76.84, jumping $1.38, or 1.83 percent. Devon Energy (DVN) was at $82.80, up $0.98, or 1.20 percent.

Price Targets on (SINA) (SYY) (TSO) (WX) (SYMC) Updated

Price targets on shares of Sina (NASDAQ: SINA), SYSCO Co. (NYSE: SYY), Tesoro Co. (NYSE: TSO), WuXi PharmaTech (NYSE: WX) and Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) updated by analysts.

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) raised their price target on Sina (SINA) from $107.00 to $139.00. They have an “overweight” rating on the company.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) raised their price target on SYSCO Co. (SYY) from $30.00 to $34.00. They have a “hold” rating on the company.

Oppenheimer cut their price target on Tesoro Co. (TSO) from $28.00 to $24.00. They have an “outperform” rating on the company.

Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) raised their price target on WuXi PharmaTech (WX) from $20.00 to $22.00.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) raised their price target on of Symantec (SYMC) from $24.00 to $26.00.

Coverage on (GNC) (TLLP) (UNP) (UPS) Initiated

Coverage on shares of GNC Corp. (NYSE: GNC), Tesoro Logistics LP (NASDAQ: TLLP), Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) and United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS) was initiated by analysts.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) initiated coverage on GNC Corp. (GNC). They placed a “neutral” rating and a price target of $22.00 on the company. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) initiated coverage on GNC Corp. (GNC). They placed an “overweight” rating and a price target of $23.00 on the company.

Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Tesoro Logistics LP (TLLP). They placed an “outperform” rating and a price target of $30.00 on the company.

Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Union Pacific (UNP). They placed a “market perform” rating and a price target of $105.00 on the company.

Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS). They placed an “outperform” rating and a price target of $88.00 on the company.

Price Targets on (SINA) (SYY) (TSO) (WX) (SYMC) Updated

Price targets on shares of Sina (NASDAQ: SINA), SYSCO Co. (NYSE: SYY), Tesoro Co. (NYSE: TSO), WuXi PharmaTech (NYSE: WX) and Symantec (NASDAQ: SYMC) updated by analysts.

Piper Jaffray (NYSE:PJC) raised their price target on Sina (SINA) from $107.00 to $139.00. They have an “overweight” rating on the company.

Citigroup (NYSE:C) raised their price target on SYSCO Co. (SYY) from $30.00 to $34.00. They have a “hold” rating on the company.

Oppenheimer cut their price target on Tesoro Co. (TSO) from $28.00 to $24.00. They have an “outperform” rating on the company.

Jefferies (NYSE:JEF) raised their price target on WuXi PharmaTech (WX) from $20.00 to $22.00.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) raised their price target on of Symantec (SYMC) from $24.00 to $26.00.

Petrohawk (HK) (TAT) (LUFK) (TSO) (APA) Trade Mixed as Oil Prices Rebounded

Shares of Petrohawk Energy Corp. (NYSE:HK), TransAtlantic Petroleum (AMEX:TAT), Lufkin Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:LUFK), Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO) and Apache Corp (NYSE:APA) traded mixed even as oil prices closed Friday in positive territory.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude for June delivery on Friday settled at $99.65 a barrel, up 68 cents, or 0.69 percent, after trading in a range of $97.09 to $100.70.

For the week, front-month crude climbed $2.47, or 2.5 percent.

ICE Brent for June delivery settled at $113.83 a barrel, up 85 cents, or 0.75 percent, after trading in a range of $111.72 to $114.92. The Brent crude contract for July delivery was at 66 cents, or 0.6 percent higher on Friday, at $112.99. Last week, Brent crude jumped $4.70, or 4.3 percent.

The U.S. dollar index was up 0.8 percent higher at $75.72 as the euro was down 1 percent against the dollar at $1.411. On Friday, European officials said that Greece, Ireland and Portugal's sovereign debt problems may be worse than previously believed.

NYMEX June gasoline settled at $3.0744 a gallon, up 1.05 cents, or 0.34 percent, after trading in a range of $3.0342 to $3.1388.

For the week, front-month RBOB fell 1.57 cents, or 0.5 percent.

NYMEX June heating oil closed at $2.9422 a gallon, rising 2.85 cents, or 1 percent.

Front-month heating oil for last week was up 9.65 cents.

Petrohawk Energy Corp. (NYSE:HK) closed Friday at $24.33, falling $0.07, or 0.29 percent.

Coverage on (GNC) (TLLP) (UNP) (UPS) Initiated

Coverage on shares of GNC Corp. (NYSE: GNC), Tesoro Logistics LP (NASDAQ: TLLP), Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) and United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE: UPS) was initiated by analysts.

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS) initiated coverage on GNC Corp. (GNC). They placed a “neutral” rating and a price target of $22.00 on the company. They cited valuation as the catalyst behind the call.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) initiated coverage on GNC Corp. (GNC). They placed an “overweight” rating and a price target of $23.00 on the company.

Oppenheimer initiated coverage on Tesoro Logistics LP (TLLP). They placed an “outperform” rating and a price target of $30.00 on the company.

Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Union Pacific (UNP). They placed a “market perform” rating and a price target of $105.00 on the company.

Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on United Parcel Service, Inc. (UPS). They placed an “outperform” rating and a price target of $88.00 on the company.

Petrobras (PBR) (TSO) (SHI) (CVX) (APC) Trade Positive as Oil, Gas Rise

Crude oil, natural gas and gasoline prices jumped Tuesday, pushing up the share prices of Petrobras (NYSE:PBR), Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO), SINOPEC Shangai Petrochemical (NYSE:SHI), Chevron (NYSE:CVX) and Anadarko (NYSE:APC).

Benchmark crude for May delivery rose $1.33 to settle at $103.88 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Heating oil jumped 3.94 cents to settle at $3.0012 a gallon. Gasoline futures climbed 10.13 cents to settle at $3.3797 a gallon, while natural gas for June delivery increased 8.7 cents to settle at $4.303 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Uncertainty remains as to the effects of the flooding along the Mississippi River could have on regional refinery operations, which could slow down gasoline production and put upward pressure on prices.

Anadarko (APC) closed at $77.14, up $0.77, or 1.01 percent.

Callon (CPE) (TAT) (FTK) (TSO) (HAL) Trade Mixed as Oil Prices Rebound

Most oil and related companies performed strong Monday, as Callon Petroleum (NYSE:CPE), TransAtlantic Petroleum (NYSE:TAT), Flotek Industries, Inc. (NYSE:FTK), Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO) and Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) traded mixed as the price of oil rebounded.

Crude oil for June delivery climbed $5.37 to settle at $102.55 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the largest one-day boost since February 22.

Brent crude for June settlement jumped $6.77, or 6.2 percent, to $115.90 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange.

Wholesale gasoline prices soared 5 percent on Monday to $3.20 a gallon on fears that refineries in Mississippi may have to shut down because of the Mississippi River flooding.

The average U.S. price of a gallon of regular gasoline Monday fell by a penny to $3.96, according to AAA.

Immediate delivery futures of Texas crude oil rose $5.53 to $102.71 a barrel. Natural gas was up 0.06 cents to $4.17 per mbtu, while gasoline prices fell 20.17 cents to 329.18 cents a gallon.

Halliburton (HAL) closed Monday at $48.06, climbing $1.39, or 2.98 percent.

Shares of (TSO) (VLO) (BEXP) (CWEI) Trade Up as Oil Closed Down 15% Last Week

Companies exposed to oil and the industry traded mixed to end the week, as oil prices plummeted 15 percent last week, taking Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO), Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO), Brigham Exploration (NASDAQ:BEXP), Clayton Williams Energy (NASDAQ:CWEI), and others, down with it, although all those listed here closed Friday in positive territory.

Light, sweet crude oil for June delivery on the New York Mercantile Exchange dropped $2.62 to settle at $97.18 a barrel, matching the eight-week low of March 15. The U.S. Oil Fund (USO) closed down 1.1 percent on Friday.

For the week, the June oil futures contract fell 14.7 percent to $113.93.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery fell $2.62, or 2.6%, to close at $97.18 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

In London, Brent crude finished the day off $1.67 at $109.13 per barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

Republicans went on the offensive against higher oil and gas prices by passing a bill to hasten the leasing process dragging on in the Gulf of Mexico as the Obama administration drag their feet on taking action. The bill would also require leasing to be allowed off the coast of Virginia.

According to Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas), the bill helped push down the price of oil as it sent a message to the market they're serious about the future supply.

All Obama has done so far has obsessed on the fantasy of green, clean or so-called alternative energy; a dubious matter at best, and at worst, ignoring what they country needs now and is available to it.

In other Nymex trading for June contracts, heating oil fell 4.12 cents to $2.8457 a U.S. gallon and gasoline futures were down 0.53 cents to $3.0901 a U.S. gallon. Natural gas fell 3.4 cents to $4.297 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Brigham Exploration (BEXP) closed Friday at $28.33, jumping $0.74, or 2.68 percent.

Price Targets on (TSO) (TW) (VC) (VNO) Updated

Price Targets on Tesoro Co. (NYSE: TSO), Towers Watson and Co (NYSE: TW), Visteon Co. (NYSE: VC) and Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO) were updated by analysts.

Barclays Capital raised their price target on Tesoro Co. (TSO) from $29.00 to $32.00. They have an “equal weight” rating on the company.

Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) raised their price target on Towers Watson and Co (TW) from $70.00 to $73.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

UBS AG (NYSE:UBS) raised their price target on Visteon Co. (VC) from $82.00 to $84.00. They have a “buy” rating on the company.

Barclays Capital raised their price target on Vornado Realty Trust (VNO) from $89.00 to $94.00. They have an “overweight” rating on the company.

Exco (XCO) (FTI) (UPL) (CWEI) (RDS-A) Pressured as Oil Tumbles

Shares of oil and oil-related companies Transocean (NYSE:RIG), Flotek Industries, Inc. (NYSE:FTK), Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL), Schlumberger (NYSE:SLB) and Tesoro Corporation (NYSE:TSO) were pressured Thursday as crude for June delivery dropped below the $100 a barrel mark.

Crude oil for June delivery was down $9.44, or 8.6 percent, to $99.80 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The price has fallen 12 percent so far this week, declining every day of the week. Crude has soared 25 percent over the last year.

Gasoline for May delivery was down 22.71 cents, or 6.8 percent, to $3.0954 a gallon on the Nymex, the lowest settlement in five weeks. Gasoline has jumped 39 percent in a year.

Averaged across the nation, regular gasoline at the pump increased 0.3 cent to $3.985 a gallon on Wednesday, according to the website of AAA. That's highest price of gasoline since July 24, 2008.

Heating oil for May delivery was down 25.61 cents, or 8.1 percent, to $2.8869 a gallon on the Nymex. Heating oil has climbed 32 percent over the last year.

The New York Mercantile Exchange reported that oil futures settled at $99.80, down $9.44 or 8.6 percent on Thursday.

Government figures show gasoline demand in America has dropped about 2 percent over the last month, which added to rises in inventory, should push gasoline prices down again.

Exco Resources Inc. (XCO) closed Thursday at $20.29, dropping $0.06, or 0.29 percent.