Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Aug 27 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Wednesday as surprisingly strong data on durable goods orders soothed some concern about the sluggish economy while Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac led a rally in financial shares.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 89.64 points, or 0.79 percent, at 11,502.51. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 10.12 points, or 0.80 percent, at 1,281.63. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 20.49 points, or 0.87 percent, at 2,382.46.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Aug 27 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended higher for a third day in a row on Wednesday as a looming major storm raised fears of damage to energy facilities in the Gulf of Mexico as it hits by the weekend.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, October crude settled up $1.88, or 1.62 percent at $118.15 per barrel, trading from $115.64 to $119.63. In three days, the contract has gained $3.56, or 3.1 percent.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - September up 10-1/2 cents at $13.48 a bushel, new-crop November up 3-1/2 cents at $13.48.Gains limited by weakness in wheat and forecasts for increased rains this week across the U.S. Midwest.

U.S. Census Bureau to release July soybean crush data on Thursday; average trade estimate at 140.3 million bushels.

World biodiesel output forecast to grow by 10 to 12 percent annually from the present 9.85 billion liters, with U.S. and Argentine exports expanding, analysts F.O.Licht said.

SOYOIL - September up 0.30 at 54.22 cents per lb.Turned up with soybeans. Higher crude oil underpins.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures rose 3.8 percent on Wednesday, recovering some of this week's losses due to improved demand and rebounding crude oil prices, dealers said.

The benchmark November crude oil contract settled up 93 ringgit, or 3.86 percent, at 2,502 ringgit ($739) per tonne on the day.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-SINGAPORE, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Thai and Indonesian stock markets rose on Wednesday as financial and resource shares recovered, but Malaysia dropped to a 20-month low as investors considered political risk.

The Kuala Lumpur stock index <.KLSE> eased 0.3 percent to its lowest since December 2006 amid investor unease as opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who faces sodomy charges, convincingly won a by-election

Singapore <.FTSTI> gave up 0.1 percent, but Indonesian shares<.JKSE> and Thailand both rose 1.1 percent, while the Philippine index <.PSI> adding 0.3 percent. Vietnam <.VNI> closed flat.