Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Sept 8 (Reuters) - U.S. mortgage rates fell on Monday after the government seized control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, raising hopes the plan would provide at least temporary respite from troubles in housing and credit markets.

The Dow Jones industrial average surged 293.52 points or 2.6 percent, while the FTSEurofirst stock index closed up 3.3 percent.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Sept 8 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures edged higher on Monday after a volatile trading session where crude was tugged back and forth by fears of another hurricane entering the Gulf of Mexico and a surge in the value of the dollar.

NYMEX October WTI futures settled up 11 cents at $106.34 a barrel after trading between $104.70 and $109.89.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - September up 14-1/2 cents at $11.94-1/2 per
bushel, November up 15 at $11.92.Technical bounce after dipping to five-month low last week.

SOYOIL - September up 0.35 cent per lb at 48.53 cents per lb; December up 0.35 cent at 49.24.Supported by rally in soybeans.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures finished little changed on Monday as traders awaited the midweek release of export data, dealers said.

The benchmark November crude palm oil contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Excange settled down 1 ringgit, or 0.04 percent, to 2,469 ringgit ($719) a tonne.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-SINGAPORE, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Singapore stocks led gains in
Southeast Asia, boosted by financial and property shares, as the U.S. government launched a bail-out of troubled U.S. mortgage firms, easing credit worries and sending global equities higher.

In the region, Thailand gained 3.1 percent on energy and bank shares, while Malaysia added 0.5 percent.Indonesia rose 0.8 percent and the Philippine index edged up 0.1 percent.

Most analysts believe the relief is temporary and expect more volatility in Singapore and other Southeast Asian markets as the global slowdown cuts corporate earnings growth.