Asia’s gasoline margins rose on Friday even as 200,000 barrels of the benchmark grade of octane exchanged hands at the closing window.

The crack rose to $4.69 per barrel over Brent crude, from $4.25 on Thursday.
In naphtha, the margins slipped by $5.96 to an 11-week low of $81.68 per metric ton over Brent crude, its lowest since Aug. 29.

Oil prices fell on Friday as investors weighed signs demand in top crude importer China continues to underperform amid the country’s uneven economic recovery and expectations of fewer U.S. Federal Reserve rate cuts.

China’s refinery throughput in October fell 4.6% from last year, down from year earlier for a seventh month, as plant closures offset the ramp up of a newly started complex and demand from holiday travel, official data showed on Friday.

Top U.S. refiners kept focused on shareholder returns with hefty stock buybacks and dividends in the third quarter even though profits fell due to weakening fuel demand and refining margins.

SINGAPORE CASH DEALS

Three gasoline deals and one naphtha trade.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Haridas; Editing by Susan Fenton)