VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Middle East fund managers have on balance become bearish on the region's biggest stock market, Saudi Arabia, after oil's rally ran out of steam and the kingdom confirmed strict rules on foreign investment, a monthly Reuters survey shows.

Oil prices fell by up to 3 percent for a second straight day on Wednesday as a resurgent dollar weighed on the market amid concerns that U.S. crude supplies may have started rising again after three weeks of draws.

Oil fell below $65 a barrel on Tuesday, pressured by the possibility that U.S. shale oil producers could increase drilling activity and by a stronger dollar.

Oil fell about 2 percent on Friday as a rallying dollar and profit-taking ahead of a long U.S. holiday weekend cut short a two-day run-up in crude prices.

Oil slipped on Monday as a rallying dollar and concerns of growing oversupply weighed on the market after Saudi Arabia reported its highest crude exports in nearly a decade.

German bond yields climbed on Tuesday on optimism that inflation may have bottomed in the euro zone, lifting demand for the euro, while volatility in global bond markets weighed on stock indexes.

Oil rose 3 percent on Tuesday, the most in three weeks, as a weak dollar lifted commodities denominated in the currency and OPEC raised slightly its forecast for world oil demand growth.

Oil edged lower on Monday on signs that a multi-week rally was encouraging a rejuvenation in already bloated U.S. shale supplies, even as the government expected less output in June from the fastest-growing fields.

Oil rounded out its best monthly gain in six years on Thursday, with the two global benchmarks for crude rising between 20 and 25 percent in April, helped by a weaker dollar and bets that a supply glut would ease.

Stock markets worldwide slumped on Wednesday after a batch of weaker-than-expected corporate results and data showing U.S. economic growth braked more sharply than expected in the first quarter, while the dollar plunged to a nine-week low.

World stocks climbed back toward all-time highs on Tuesday as upbeat European earnings reports and expectations of a sixth straight rise in German business confidence helped offset worries about a possible Greek default.

In January 2014, veteran short-seller Bill Fleckenstein said he was readying a new fund to bet on falling stock prices. More than a year later, he's still waiting to launch that fund.

Saudi Arabia has reduced contractual crude supplies to some customers in Japan and South Korea since March by trimming the volumes of oil loaded, six industry sources familiar with the matter said on Monday.

World shares tested record highs on Friday as hopes of more easy money from top central banks pushed Japan's Nikkei past 20,000 points for the first time in 15 years and European stocks reached similar heights.

Oil fell for a third straight session on Tuesday, with Brent crude tumbling 12 percent for the month, as world powers entered into intense negotiations with Iran for a nuclear deal that could bring more of its oil to an oversupplied market.