Oil maintains gains

Oil held on to gains as investors weighed rising geopolitical tensions. Oil held on to gains as investors weighed the potential impact of rising geopolitical tensions from Yemen to Russia. Brent crude traded around $86 a barrel, while U.S. crude was below $81. Houthi militants have recently stepped up attacks on ships off the coast of Yemen, while the BBC reported that Russia blamed the U.S. for a missile strike on occupied Crimea and warned of the consequences. Brent was lifted by rising geopolitical risks, including upcoming elections in Iran and France, but it still hovered near its lowest level in five years.