Oil prices fall amid renewed banking fears

NEW YORK,March 25 (Xinhua/APP):Oil prices decreased on Friday, but managed to notch a gain for the week.

The West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May delivery dropped 70 cents, or 1 percent, to settle at 69.26 U.S. dollars a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude for May delivery lost 92 cents, or 1.21 percent, to close at 74.99 dollars a barrel on the London ICE Futures Exchange.

The decline came as traders continued to focus on the banking industry.

Shares of Deutsche Bank were under considerable pressure after a spike in the cost of insuring against its default. It reignited concerns over the health of the U.S. and European banking sectors.

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