SINGAPORE, Feb 20 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures hovered

near $97 a barrel on Wednesday ahead of economic data from the

United States and euro zone that may help investors gauge the

health of the global economy.

West Texas Intermediate hit four-month highs above $98 last

month, but prices have traded below that level since as mostly

upbeat U.S. data was countered by worries a recovery in the

debt-hit euro zone may take longer than thought.

FUNDAMENTALS

* U.S. crude for March delivery, which expires later

on Wednesday, was little changed at $96.72 a barrel by 0028 GMT.

The contract rose 0.8 percent on Tuesday in line with gains in

U.S. equities.

* Oil shipments on the Seaway pipeline between the U.S.

Midwest and the Gulf Coast will run significantly below the

line's 400,000 barrel per day capacity for the 'foreseeable

future,' a company filing to federal regulators said, as heavier

crudes slow down the line.

* Optimism that the worst of the euro zone debt crisis is

over has helped German investor and analyst sentiment soar to

its highest level in nearly three years this month.

* President Francois Hollande said France will miss its 0.8

percent 2013 growth target, hours after his foreign minister

said the growth rate could come in at less than half that level.

* Global miner BHP Billiton appointed the

head of its non-ferrous business as its new chief executive to

replace Marius Kloppers, as it reported an expected 43 percent

drop in half-year profit.

* A Syrian missile killed at least 20 people in a rebel-held

district of Aleppo, opposition activists said, as the army turns

to longer-range weapons after losing bases in the country's

second-largest city.

MARKETS NEWS

* Asian shares edged higher on Wednesday, buoyed by rising

global equities overnight on an improving global economic

outlook, while the yen resumed its decline.

* The yen held its ground against the dollar on Wednesday as

doubts surfaced on whether the Bank of Japan will put into

action bold plans to jumpstart the economy, while sterling

languished at a seven-month low.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT)

0700 Germany Producer prices

0745 France Business climate index

0900 Italy Industrial orders

1245 U.S. ICSC weekly chain store sales

1330 U.S. Building permits

1330 U.S. Housing starts

1330 U.S. Producer prices

1500 U.S. Consumer confidence

1900 Federal Open Market Committee issues minutes from its

Jan. 29-30 meeting

2130 U.S. API weekly crude stocks

(Reporting by Manolo Serapio Jr.; Editing by Ed Davies)

((manolo.serapio@thomsonreuters.com)(+65 6870 3884)(Reuters

Messaging: manolo.serapio.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

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