(Updates)
** Shares of U.S. energy companies slide as oil prices drop
nearly 5% in early trade
** Oil prices tumbled to their lowest since early October
due to a weaker demand outlook and easing fears of a supply
disruption amid the Iran-Israel conflict O/R
** Exxon Mobil XOM.N down 3.1%, Chevron CVX.N falls 2.1%
and SLB SLB.N dips around 3.4%
** Biggest falls include producers Crescent Energy CRGY.N ,
APA Corp APA.O and Diamondback Energy FANG.O dropping
between 2% and 5.5%
** Refiners PBF Energy PBF.N , Marathon Oil MRO.N and
Phillips 66 PSX.N fall between 2% and 4.4%
** Other oilfield services companies fall between 2.7% and
5.2%
** "While geopolitical tensions could continue to lend some
support and prevent sharper declines, sluggish economic growth
in the euro zone and China suggests a volatile and potentially
bearish outlook for crude prices in the near term," says Joseph
Dahrieh, managing principal at Tickmill
** "The next moves will hinge on whether the market believes
this new conciliatory political speak, and if it does ... this
will not be the end of lower prices," notes John Evans, analyst
at oil broker PVM, referring to media report of Israel telling
U.S. it would not strike Iranian oil targets
(Reporting by Paolo Laudani and Seher Dareen)
((Paolo.laudani@thomsonreuters.com))