Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Oct 23 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks clawed back from five-year lows on Thursday, led by a bounce in energy and health-care stocks after oil recovered from a 16-month trough and top pharmaceutical companies posted reassuring earnings.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 172.04 points, or 2.02 percent, to 8,691.25, while the Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 11.33 points, or 1.26 percent, to 908.11. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC>, however, was down 11.84 points, or 0.73 percent, at 1,603.91.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Oct 23 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures rose on Thursday, bouncing ahead of Friday's OPEC meeting expected to result in a production cut.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, December crude rose $1.09, or 1.63 percent, to settle at $67.84 a barrel, trading from $65.90 to $69.41.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - November up 25-1/2 cents at $8.84-1/2 a bushel; January up 23-3/4 at $8.88-1/2.

U.S. Census Bureau reported September soy crush at 125.7 million bushels, versus estimates for 127.0-127.4 million.

CBOT-SOYOIL - December up 0.48 cent at 32.82 cents per lb.

Higher on spillover from soybeans, crude oil. Trading limit expanded to 3.5 cents for Thursday's session..

Census preliminary U.S. September soyoil stocks figure was 2.528 billion lbs, versus estimates for 2.378-2.435 billion.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Vegetable oil markets in Asia recouped some of Thursday's losses as investors tiptoed back on expectations OPEC would cut supplies of crude oil and boost commodities across the board.

Malaysian crude palm oil futures ended 1 percent lower after tumbling much as 5.8 percent, Dalian soyoil bounced away from its 5 percent limit down and Chicago soybean oil rose 0.5 percent.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-SINGAPORE, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian equities took
another beating on Thursday on earnings worries, while uneasiness over persistent credit tightness hit banks such as DBS Group and PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia .

Indonesian shares <.JKSE> slid 3.1 percent to mark a fresh 2-year low, the Philippine index <.PSI> dropped 4.6 percent, while Vietnam <.VNI> gave up 3.9 percent.

Thai stocks <.SETI> lost 2.8 percent, while Malaysia <.KLSE> eased 1.4 percent, maintaining its outperformance in the region. Banks were among the main losers in the region.

Singapore's top lender by assets DBS Group fell 5.3 percent to mark a new 5-year low. The bank said on Wednesday it will compensate as much as $53.4 million to some investors who bought structured products linked to collapsed bank Lehman
Brothers.

Malaysia's Maybank , which said it has identified Lehman-linked investors, also fell 2.8 percent. Rival Bumiputra Commerce slid 3.6 percent, even
after the country's Association of Banks said in a statement its banks remain well-capitalised and lending activities have not been affected.

Among other losers, Thai's Siam Commercial Bank dropped 4.2 percent, while Indonesia's PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia Tbk plunged 7.1 percent.