Crude oil prices fell sharply after US inventory data showed a far larger stockpile build than analysts had forecast, reviving concerns about softening global demand.
The move pressured energy stocks across major indices, though analysts cautioned against reading too much into a single week's data given ongoing volatility in refinery activity.
“One inventory print doesn't make a trend, but it's enough to spook a market already nervous about demand,” one commodities strategist said.