Brent crude rose and Nymex futures pared their losses Wednesday after North Korea test-launched several missiles, bringing geopolitical concerns back in focus.
North Korea defied stern warnings from the United States and Japan to launch six missiles early Wednesday, including a long-range Taepodong-2, which failed shortly after takeoff. Later Wednesday, the communist nation fired a seventh missile.
After overnight losses, Brent edged higher. Brent crude for August rose 45 cents to $72.96 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.
