Good, Gloomy, or Grim in 2005?

Oil prices: They’re beginning to come down from their $55-a-barrel peak. At S&P, our baseline forecast expects oil to average $44 this year (about the same as in 2004) and $36 for 2006. But oil prices seem especially unpredictable now, given the uncertainties in the Middle East and the strong energy demand in Asia.