Business news for Thu, 20 Dec 2007 & with words data+lower. 3 news.

The dollar drifted lower against the yen but continued to gain on most of its major rivals Thursday, benefiting from thin market conditions ahead of next week's holiday and shrugging off downbeat weekly jobless claims and leading indicator data.

Oil prices fluctuated Thursday as traders weighed forecasts for a warmer winter _ which could lower demand for heating and crude oil _ against data suggesting supplies are falling. Natural gas futures fell after the government reported that inventories...

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Treasury bonds were slightly higher Thursday, sending yields lower, after downbeat weekly jobless claims and leading indicator data increased the safe-have appeal of fixed-income assets in thin market conditions ahead of next week's holiday. "As liquidity remains a scarce resource, we expect the volatile conditions in the market will remain a theme -- at least into the end of the year," said David Ader, U.S. government bond strategist at RBS Greenwich Capital. The U.S. Federal Reserve will auction another $20 billion worth of lending Thursday, its second such move as part of a coordinated plan to ease global credit conditions. The benchmark 10-year Treasury note was up 2/32 at 101 27/32, with a yield of 4.024%. The 30-year bond was up 6/32 at 109 6/32 with a yield of 4.437%. The two-year note was up 2/32 at 100 3/32 with a yield of 3.070%.