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• WTI edges lower on Friday and erodes a part of the previous day’s positive move.
• China’s economic woes and an unexpected build in US inventories exert pressure.
• Middle East tensions and hopes of improving demand should limit deeper losses.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) US crude Oil prices struggle to capitalize on the overnight bounce from the vicinity of the weekly low and trade with a mild negative bias during the Asian session on Friday. The commodity currently hovers around the $76.70 area, down 0.25% for the day, though it remains on track to register modest gains for the second straight week. 

The risk of supply disruption remains elevated in the wake of escalating tensions in the Middle East. Furthermore, the upbeat US macro data released on Thursday eased fears about a downturn in the world's largest economy. This, along with hopes that rate cuts by the Federal Reserve (Fed) will boost economic activity and push up fuel consumption, might continue to lend some support to Crude Oil prices. 

Meanwhile, the US Dollar (USD) struggles to capitalize on the previous day's post-data positive move amid bets that the Fed that the Fed will eventually begin its rate-cutting cycle in September. Furthermore, the prevalent risk-on mood is seen as another factor undermining the safe-haven Greenback, which tends to boost demand for USD-denominated commodities, including Crude Oil prices. 

Investors, however, remain worried about an economic slowdown in China – the world's biggest oil importer. Adding to this, the OPEC and the IEA downgraded their forecasts for Oil demand growth in 2024. This, along with an unexpected build in US inventories, suggesting that demand was cooling, acts as a headwind for Crude Oil prices and exerts some downward pressure on the last day of the week.

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