據路透社5月10日專欄報道，對沖基金連續第四周增持石油頭寸，因對石油消費和價格的樂觀情緒在3月份受挫后反彈。

　　截至5月4日當周，對沖基金和其他基金經理購買了相當于4000萬桶石油的六個最重要的石油期貨和期權合約。

　　投資組合經理們在過去四周購買了1.02億桶原油，逆轉了3月中旬至4月初期間1.13億桶的銷量。

　　最近一周，整個交易所都出現了買盤，主要是紐約商品交易所和洲際交易所的西WTI原油(上漲1400萬桶)和布倫特原油(上漲1100萬桶)，還有歐洲汽油(上漲700萬桶)、美國汽油(上漲600萬桶)和美國柴油(上漲100萬桶)。

　　多頭頭寸與空頭頭寸的比例接近6:1，幾乎回到了2月中旬的前一個峰值，而且在2013年初以來的所有周內均位于第80個百分位，這意味著市場普遍認為價格將繼續走高。

　　對沖基金購買原油和成品油的速度正在加快和擴大，這與人們對經濟復蘇和石油消費周期性回升的信心日益增強相一致。

　　印度冠狀病毒感染的上升和客運航空的延遲恢復不再讓看漲石油的投資者卻步，買家預計今年晚些時候石油消費量仍將增加。

　　最近幾周，美國的石油鉆機數量也趨于平穩，這意味著今年下半年頁巖油產量增長放緩，有助于支撐油價在較高水平上。

　　裘寅 編譯自 路透社

　　原文如下：

　　Column: Oil buying accelerates amid growing confidence in economic recovery: Kemp

　　Hedge funds boosted their position in petroleum for the fourth week running, as bullishness about oil consumption and prices rebounded after the setback in March.

　　Hedge funds and other money managers purchased the equivalent of 40 million barrels in the six most important petroleum futures and options contracts in the week to May 4.

　　Portfolio managers have bought 102 million barrels over the last four weeks, reversing sales of 113 million barrels between the middle of March and early April.

　　In the latest week, there were purchases across the complex, led by NYMEX and ICE WTI (+14 million barrels) and Brent (+11 million) but also European gasoil (+7 million), U.S. gasoline (+6 million) and U.S. diesel (+1 million).

　　Long positions outnumber shorts by a ratio of nearly 6:1, almost back to the previous peak in mid-February, and in the 80th percentile for all weeks since the start of 2013, implying a broad consensus that prices are headed even higher.

　　The rate of hedge fund buying is accelerating and widening to include both crude and refined fuels, consistent with growing confidence about an economic recovery and cyclical upturn in petroleum consumption.

　　Rising coronavirus infections in India and a delayed resumption in passenger aviation are no longer deterring oil bulls, with buyers anticipating consumption will nonetheless increase later in the year.

　　In recent weeks, the number of rigs drilling for oil in the United States has also flattened out, implying a slower increase in shale production over the second half of the year, helping support prices at a higher level.