SINGAPORE, May 5 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures eased below $109 a barrel on Thursday, pressured by a higher-than-expected build in U.S. crude stocks, weak U.S. economic data and concerns over Chinese inflation.
FUNDAMENTALS
* NYMEX crude for June delivery
The contract has fallen nearly 6 percent since Monday, when it rose to $114.83 a barrel -- the highest since September 2008.
* ICE Brent crude
* Weekly U.S. crude stocks rose by 3.4 million barrels even as imports fell, the U.S. Department of Energy said. Analysts had forecast a 2 million-barrel build in a Reuters poll.
* Data from the United States showed a sharp slowdown in the vast services sector and less hiring by private companies in April. The CRB commodities index lost 1.8 percent on Wednesday. [ID:nN04209762]
* Concerns about the global economic recovery were on the rise as investors anticipated further tightening measures in China, the world's top consumer of commodities.
* China's Vice Finance Minister said the government will continue working to use measures such as higher interest rates and bank deposit requirements to curb inflation. [ID:nL3E7G421O]
* Ministers from the NATO-backed coalition against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi meet in Rome on Thursday seeking ways to get money to rebels who are desperate to buy food and medicine and shore up their administration. [ID:nLDE7432LY]
MARKETS NEWS
* The euro hovered near a 17-month high versus a droopy dollar as markets braced for more hawkish rhetoric from the European Central Bank after its policy meeting later on Thursday.
* Top Federal Reserve officials said U.S. inflation remained well under control, and a batch of weak data raised worries that Friday's non-farm payrolls report will disappoint. All this reaffirmed the Fed's vow to keep policy ultra loose. [ID:nN04263770]
* Soaring food and energy prices may temper Asia's economic outlook this year, putting central bankers in a tight spot as they try to cap inflation without choking off growth, Reuters polling data showed. [ID:nL3E7G30BY]
DATA/EVENTS (GMT)
* The following data is expected on Thursday:
1100 Britain BoE rate decision May 2011 1145 EZ ECB rate Decision May 2011 1230 U.S. Unemployment claims Weekly 1230 U.S. USDA export sales Weekly 1430 U.S. EIA natural gas stocks Weekly
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(Reporting by Randy Fabi; Editing by Himani Sarkar)