Oil prices headed toward $75 a barrel Tuesday in Asia as regional stock markets snapped a losing streak and economic data suggested U.S. crude demand could improve. Benchmark crude for March delivery was up 27 cents at $74.70 a barrel at early afternoon Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.54 to settle at $74.43 on Monday. Major regional stock indexes were higher after losing ground the past two weeks, giving a boost to the oil market which sometimes looks to stocks as a barometer of optimism about the economy.