Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Oct 21 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks skidded on Tuesday, as commodity shares fell on fears of a global recession and a rash of disappointing earnings heightened
worries about the deteriorating profit picture.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 231.77 points, or 2.50 percent, to close at 9,033.66, while the Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> shed 30.35 points, or 3.08 percent, to 955.05, just above its low for the day. The Nasdaq
Composite Index <.IXIC> dropped 73.35 points, or 4.14 percent, to 1,696.68, near its session low.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Oil prices tumbled 4 percent on Tuesday amid worries that a global recession would crush fuel demand, limiting the impact of any supply cuts by OPEC.

U.S. crude for November delivery , which expired on Tuesday, settled down $3.36 at $70.89 a barrel. London Brent crude settled down $2.31 at $69.72 a barrel.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - November down 21 cents at $9.08 per bushel, January down 25-1/2 at $9.15-1/4.

Pressured by declines in crude oil amid recession jitters; firmer dollar also bearish. Traders taking profits after Monday's rally.

CBOT-SOYOIL - December down 1.81 cents at 35.80 cents per lb. Pressured by declines in soybeans and crude oil.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures ended 1.5 percent lower on Tuesday after a leading industry analyst gave a bearish forecast amid losses in global vegetable oil markets.

The market was also pressured when Malaysia, the world's second-largest producer of palm oil, pushed back a key cabinet meeting on boosting palm oil prices to next week from Tuesday because several ministers were unable to attend.

The benchmark January palm contract on Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives Exchange settled down 25 ringgit at 1,652 ringgit ($486) per tonne after going as low as 1,639 ringgit.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-SINGAPORE, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets edged higher on Tuesday as investors bet government rescue efforts would ease the global credit crisis and stabilise volatile financial markets.

The Philippine index <.PSI> led the day's gains, rising 2.6 percent, with Vietnamese shares <.VNI> up 2.5 percent, Malaysia <.KLSE> 1 percent, Indonesia <.JKSE> 0.9 percent and Thailand <.SETI> 0.4 percent.

But Singapore shares <.FTSTI> surrendered early gains to close down 1 percent, pressured by losses in Hong Kong. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index <.HSI> was weighed down by conglomerate CITIC Pacific <0267.HK>, which lost more than half its market value after it warned of forex losses amounting to nearly $2 billion.