Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Nov 5 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks plummeted on Wednesday, a day after Barack Obama's historic victory in the U.S. presidential election, as a fresh batch of dismal economic data underscored the massive challenges awaiting his
administration.

The drop marked Wall Street's biggest loss ever on the day after a presidential election, coming immediately on the heels of its biggest Election Day rally on record in the previous session.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> slid 486.01 points, or 5.05 percent, to 9,139.27. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> plunged 52.98 points, or 5.27 percent, to close at 952.77. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 98.48 points,
or 5.53 percent, to 1,681.64.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Nov 5 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures ended nearly $5 lower on Wednesday after government data showed gasoline stocks rose last week and raised more worries about demand.

Profit-taking after prices surged more than 10 percent on Tuesday, the dollar's gains versus the euro and a sharp slide on Wall Street also helped pull crude futures lower.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, December crude settled down $5.23, or 7.42 percent, at $65.30 a barrel, trading from $65.01 to $70.46.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - November down 54-3/4 cents at $8.94-3/4 a bushel; January down 55 at $9.04.

Fell to day's lows late on technical selling, along with spillover pressure from crude oil, Wall Street and strength in the dollar. Spot November fell below $9 for first time in a week.

CBOT-SOYOIL - December down 1.95 cents at 34.02 cents per lb.Pressured by drop in crude oil following bearish weekly U.S. gasoline inventory data.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil leapt as much as 9 percent on Wednesday as oil prices held some of the previous day's surge while financial markets perked up.

India's move to defer reimposing import duties on crude vegetable oil and Malaysia scrapping duties on imported fertiliser helped keep the palm market buoyant although fears of a deepening global recession later swept away some gains.

The benchmark January contract rose as much as 145 ringgit to 1,723 ringgit ($489) per tonne before settling up 62 ringgit at 1,640 ringgit.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Nov 5 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets
touched two-week highs on Wednesday as the victory of Barack Obama in the U.S. election triggered optimism about the global economy, with results fuelling buying in Singapore.

But a bout of profit-taking trimmed gains in some of the region's markets as investors turned their attention elsewhere after the election result.

Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> rose 2.1 percent, with Sembcorp Marine up 10.9 percent and water firm Hyflux soaring 15 percent after they released strong quarterly results.

Malaysia's index <.KLSE> posted a gain for the fifth day, up 1.1 percent, but the Thai index <.SETI> drifted 0.1 percent lower, ending a four-day rise. Malaysia and Thailand announced fiscal stimulus packages this week to help blunt the blow from
the global economic slowdown.

Jakarta's stock index <.JKSE> snapped a five-day gain, ending down 0.3 percent. Philippine shares <.PSI> edged up 0.2 percent, and Vietnam stocks <.VNI> rose for a sixth day, adding 4.5