Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The Dow and S&P 500 rose on Thursday as surging oil prices drove up energy shares, though fresh fears of more credit losses on Wall Street kept gains modest and pushed the Nasdaq into negative territory.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 12.62 points, or 0.11 percent, at 11,430.05. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 3.17 points, or 0.25 percent, at 1,277.71. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 8.70 points, or 0.36 percent, at 2,380.38.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Aug 21 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended more than $5 higher on Thursday, gaining for the fourth session in a row as a sliding dollar encouraged investors to buy
commodities.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, October crude , the new front month, settled up $5.62, or 4.86 percent, at $121.18 per barrel, trading from $115.40 to $122.04.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - Up 47 to 57 cents per bushel, with September up 47-1/4 at $13.41 per bushel.Rallied to three-week high on climbing crude oil and gold as the dollar fell. Dry weather in U.S. Midwest also a concern. Argentine farm protests also supportive.

SOYOIL - Up 2.49 to the 2.50 cents per lb trading limit,with September up 2.49 at 55.56 cents per lb.Following soybeans, with market led by gains in crude oil as dollar falls.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures jumped 3.1 percent on Thursday, hitting an eight-day high as crude oil gave a leg up to vegetable oil markets.

The benchmark November contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange rose as much as 81 ringgit to 2,672 ringgit ($800) per tonne, a level unseen since August 12. The contract then settled up 62 ringgit at 2,653 ringgit.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-SINGAPORE, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stocks edged lower on Thursday as U.S. financial sector woes weighed on banks and property plays.

Singapore <.FTSTI> fell 1.4 percent, while Thai stocks<.SETI> were 2 percent down. The Philippines <.PSI> also shed 0.9 percent, while Malaysia <.KLSE> was off 0.2 percent.