Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Dec 15 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks stumbled on Monday, roiled by worries about how big a bite the global financial crisis has taken from banks' profits and fallout from a massive investment fraud scheme.

JPMorgan Chase & Co was the biggest drag on the Dow after Merrill Lynch cut the stock to an "underperform" rating and forecast a loss for the bank's fourth quarter.

Another blow to sentiment was concern about the financial sector's exposure to potential losses related to investment manager Bernard Madoff, who is accused by U.S. authorities of masterminding a $50 billion fraud.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> shed 65.15 points, or 0.75 percent, to end at 8,564.53. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 11.16 points, or 1.27 percent, to 868.57. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dropped 32.38 points, or
2.10 percent, to 1,508.34.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Dec 15 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures fell on Monday, retreating from an early high above $50 a barrel as Wall Street slumped after a stronger open and refueled concerns about a slowing economy.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, January crude fell $1.77, or 3.82 percent, to settle at $44.51 a barrel, trading from $44.24 to $50.05.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - January down 8 cents at $8.46 a bushel, March down 6-3/4 cents at $8.49-1/2 a bushel. Turned down when crude oil slipped and soyoil began falling

with additional pressure from trade reports on Friday that Informa Economics forecast 2009 U.S. soy acreage at 81.455 million, up from 75.9 million in 2008.

The National Oilseed Processors Association said November soybean crushings where 139.4 million bushels down from 143.4 million bushels in October.

CBOT-SOYOIL - January down 0.37 cent at 30.55 cents per lb, March down 0.37 at 30.91 cents a pound. Downturn in crude dragged soyoil lower.

U.S. soyoil stocks stood at 2.04 billion pounds, up from 1.98 billion pounds in October, the National Oilseed Processors Association said.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm futures wiped out gains of 3 percent to end slightly lower on Monday, rattled by fears that exports to India will slow down, traders said.

The benchmark February palm oil contract on the Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives Exchange settled down 5 ringgit, or 0.32 percent, at 1,576 ringgit ($443) per tonne, after coming off a high of 1,630 ringgit.

Other traded contracts were mostly lower, falling between 5 ringgit and 40 ringgit. The overall volume stood at 6,891.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Monday amid optimism about a U.S. car sector bailout and investors picked up blue chips in the region such as Singapore's UOB, Thailand's PTT and Indonesia's Bank Rakyat. Thai shares <.SETI> rose 2.89 percent.

Indonesia's main stock index <.JKSE> led the gains, climbing 7.63 percent on strong buying in bank stocks, while Singapore shares <.FTSTI> gained 1.98 percent.

In Kuala Lumpur, the main index erased its morning gain, closing 0.68 percent lower, weighed down by a 2.5 percent fall in Bumiputra Commerce Holdings Bhd .