TOKYO, April 15 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures extended gains for a third day on Friday, supported by the dollar hovering at 16-month lows and no clear end to fighting in Libya that has cut supplies from the OPEC nation.
FUNDAMENTALS
* NYMEX crude for May delivery
Futures were also boosted by news that Sunoco Inc shut a gasoline-making unit at its 335,000 barrel-per-day Philadelphia refinery after a small fire. [ID:nWNAB4642]
* In London, ICE Brent crude for new front-month June
delivery
* Saudi Shi'ites in the oil-producing east took to the streets in protest, calling for the release of prisoners and an end to human rights violations. [ID:nLDE73D2BE]
* Yemen's opposition rejected an offer to join Gulf-mediated talks on a transfer of power and set a two-week deadline for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step aside. [ID:nLDE73D0RP]
MARKETS NEWS
* Stocks that outperform in a weak economy helped the Dow and S&P 500 eke out gains on Thursday as concerns about faltering growth and inflation prompted investors to seek out less volatile names. [ID:nN14289023]
* The dollar wallowed near a 16-month low against a basket of major currencies early in Asia on Friday but looked unlikely to extend losses significantly ahead of Chinese economic data.
Unofficial figures on Thursday suggested that Chinese data including retail sales, industrial output and consumer inflation due at 0200 GMT will probably be stronger than expected.
* First-time claims for U.S. unemployment benefits rose unexpectedly last week, raising questions about the health of a labour market recovery.
DATA/EVENTS
* The following data is expected on Friday: (Time in GMT)
- 0200 China GDP yy Jan 2011
- 0200 China Industrial output yy Mar
- 0200 China Retail sales yy Mar
- 0200 China CPI yy Mar
- 0200 China PPI yy Mar
- 0200 China Urban investment yy Mar
- 0430 Japan Industrial output rev Feb
- 0900 EZ Inflation, final yy Mar
- 0900 EZ Eurostat trade nsa Feb
- 1100 U.S. Bank of America earning Q1
- 1230 U.S. Consumer prices Mar
- 1315 U.S. Industrial output Mar
- 1355 U.S. Reuters/U. Mich sentiment Apr
(Reporting by Osamu Tsukimori; Editing by Edmund Klamann)