Crude oil prices moved to the upside amid continuing uncertainty about an agreement to once again reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The report is expected to show consumer prices inched up by 0.1 percent in July after falling by 0.4 percent in June. Core consumer prices, which exclude food and energy prices, are expected to rise by 0.2 percent in July after coming in unchanged in June. The annual rate of growth by consumer prices is expected to slow to 3.4 percent in July from 3.5 percent in June, while the annual rate of growth by consumer prices is expected to slow to 2.5 percent in July from 2.6 percent in June. The sharp increase by the price of crude oil also contributed to significant strength among oil producer stocks, with the NYSE Arca Oil Index jumping by 2 percent.