NYMEX-Crude drops more than 3 pct on profit-taking

* U.S. consumer confidence up in August, above forecast

* Wall Street up on housing, consumer sentiment

* Dollar dips as upbeat data prompts riskier trades

* Expanded poll forecasts crude stock drawdown

NEW YORK, Aug 25 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended
more than 3 percent lower on Tuesday as traders booked profits
after failure of the front-month October contract to break
through resistance at $75.

Prices fell as sell stops were triggered by a slew of long
liquidations, traders said, despite positive home prices and
consumer confidence reports, which had lifted Wall Street
earlier.

"There's been profit-taking in the energy markets ...
there's a feeling that the markets are heavy and sinking, with
crude overvalued by around $20 a barrel," said Tim Evans,
energy market analyst at Citi Futures Perspective in New York.

"On products, heating oil supplies are higher than a year
ago and demand is weak. The same is true with gasoline, and
with the summer driving season winding down, you can see how
prices here can be under pressure," he added.

Crude futures slumped ahead of weekly inventory data, due
out at 4:30 p.m. EDT (2030 GMT) from the American Petroleum
Institute and at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) on Wednesday from
the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

A forecast in an expanded Reuters poll of analysts on
Tuesday showed that for the week to Aug. 21 crude inventories
fell by 1.1 million barrels. [EIA/S]

Analysts also forecast a 1.0 million-barrel drawdown in
gasoline stocks and a 300,000-barrel increase in distillate
supplies.

In early trading, crude futures were up, lifted by Wall
Street, which rose on supportive home prices data and on news
that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke will be renominated. [.N]

U.S. equities also rose after the Conference Board said
that its index of consumer attitudes climbed more than expected
in August on an improved outlook on the job market and the
economy. [ID:nN25208580]

Meanwhile, the dollar weakened as generally upbeat U.S.
economic data and news about Bernanke's renomination encouraged
investors to take on riskier investments. [USD/]

PRICES

* On the New York Mercantile Exchange, October crude CLV9
settled down $2.32, or 3.12 percent, at $72.05 a barrel,
trading from $71.11 to $75, which was the highest since prices
hit $75.69 on Oct. 21, 2008.

* In London, October Brent crude LCOV9 ended down $2.44,
or 3.29 percent, at $71.82 a barrel, trading from $71.04 to
$74.23.

* NYMEX September RBOB RBU9 settled down 4.21 cents, or
2.05 percent, at $2.0070 a gallon, trading from $1.9792 to
$2.0624.

* NYMEX September heating oil HOU9 finished 6.75 cents
lower, or 3.51 percent, at $1.8559 a gallon, trading from
$1.8373 to $1.9283.

* The October/October RBOB crack spread <0#RB-CL=R> ended
at $6.59, down from $6.67 on Monday. The October/October
heating oil crack spread <0#CL-HO=R> ended at $6.89, dropping
from $7.37 on Monday.

* The spread between the current front month and the
five-year forward crude contract CLc61 ended at $13.64,
widening from $12.90 on Monday. The October 2014 contract
settled Tuesday at $85.69, down $1.58, or 1.81 percent.

TECHNICALS

NYMEX crude 10-day/20-day moving average: $71.13/$70.45

Technical support/resistance:

NYMEX crude: $72.50/75.30

NYMEX heating oil: $1.8888/$1.9579

NYMEX RBOB: $2.00/$2.0893

For a full report on technicals, click on [ID:nLP221237]

MARKET NEWS

* U.S. gasoline demand last week ran 2.2 percent below the
same period a year ago, despite lower prices at the pumps,
MasterCard SpendingPulse said. [ID:nNYS005339]

* Prices of U.S. single-family homes rose for the second
consecutive month in June, adding to evidence that the
three-year housing slump is easing, Standard & Poor's reported
on Tuesday.[ID:nN25200719] Table: [ID:nN25200219]

* Valero Energy Corp (VLO.N) said a 70,000-barrel-per-day
fluid catalytic cracker unit at its refinery in Memphis,
Tennessee, returned to planned rates following repairs to fix a
leak. [ID:nN25202609]
(Reporting by Gene Ramos and Jane McGurty; Editing by Walter
Bagley)