Brent Closes in on $86 Further Buoyed by Jobs Data

Brent crude and the U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate found their footing again on Thursday amid escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon, on the brink of an all-out war, and further buoyed by jobs data showing lower first-time unemployment claims last week, though all indications are that the U.

S. jobs market is still cooling. Brent hit a seven-week high on Thursday, trading up 0.62% at $85.60 at 2:15 p.m. ET, as this week’s jobs data lent more optimism of a rate cut at some point this year.  WTI, the U.S. benchmark, was…