U.S. crude ends lower despite crude stocks drop

NEW YORK, Sept 9 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures prices fell back on Thursday after seesaw trading as investors shrugged off a government oil inventory report that showed crude stocks unexpectedly fell last week.

Crude oil prices rallied on the inventory drop but lost steam just below $76 a barrel. Traders also noted total U.S. crude oil and products stocks remained at high levels, despite the drop in crude oil stocks.

Ahead of the EIA report, oil futures and Wall Street had been lifted by reports showing initial jobless claims in the United States fell more than expected and that the U.S. trade deficit narrowed.

But U.S. equities markets also pared gains in afternoon trading in New York and the dollar reversed and bounced up versus the euro and the dollar index was stronger.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, October crude <CLV0> fell 42 cents, or 0.56 percent, to settle at $74.25 a barrel, trading from $73.88 to $75.96. (Reporting by Robert Gibbons)