Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Aug 15 (Reuters) - The Dow and S&P 500 rose on Friday, as sinking commodity prices raised hopes of a consumer spending recovery, helping push shares of retailers higher.The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 43.97 points, or 0.38 percent, to 11,659.90. But for the week, the Dow finished down 0.6 percent. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 5.27 points, or 0.41 percent, to 1,298.20, and inched up 0.1 percent for the week.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Aug 15 (Reuters) - U.S. oil futures ended more than a dollar lower on Friday, hitting 15-week lows as the dollar rallied on fears about non-U.S. economies slumping, raising more worries over demand for oil.On the New York Mercantile Exchange, September crude settled down $1.24, or 1.08 percent, at $113.77 a barrel, lowest since May 1's settlement at $112.52, after trading from $111.34 to $115.20.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - September down 53-3/4 cents at $12.11-1/2,new-crop November down 55 at $12.19.Soy part of the broad-based sell-off in commodities as the dollar surges.

USDA expected to keep crop conditions near unchanged in Monday's weekly crop update.

SOYOIL - September down 2.08 cents per lb at 50.04 cents. Slides alongside crude oil.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures plunged 8.7 percent on Friday to an 11-1/2-month low as falling crude knocked vegetable oil markets, prompting Chinese and Indian traders to renege on palm contracts.The benchmark crude palm oil October contract pulled back by the close to stand down 6.4 percent at 2,453 ringgit.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-SINGAPORE, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets edged lower on Friday as receding oil prices pulled back resource shares. Asian markets were also weighed down as investors factored in the the impact of potential recessions in Britain, Europe and Japan on corporate Asia's bottomline

Singapore <.FTSTI> fell 0.7 percent on Friday, while Jakarta<.JKSE> eased 1 percent, or 5 percent for the week as coal miners weakened. Malaysia <.KLSE> slid 1.3 percent on Friday, while the Philippine index <.PSI> closed flat.