Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Most U.S stocks rose on Thursday after news that Citigroup Inc agreed to support legislation aimed at stemming home loan foreclosures, offsetting Wal-Mart's disappointing sales and outlook.

Citigroup added 0.1 percent to $7.16 after lawmakers said the No. 2 U.S. bank had agreed to support legislation that would allow bankruptcy courts to erase some mortgage debt to help bankrupt homeowners better handle their payments.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 27.24 points, or 0.31 percent, to 8,742.46. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 3.08 points, or 0.34 percent, to 909.73. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 17.95 points, or 1.12
percent, to 1,617.01.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Jan 8 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended down for a second day in a row on Thursday on mounting economic worries even as President-elect Barack Obama sought to gain support for an economic stimulus plan that includes an energy
efficiency program.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, February crude settled down 93 cents, or 2.18 percent, at $41.70 a barrel, trading from $40.54 to $43.63. In two days, the
contract has fallen a combined $6.88, or 14.2 percent.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - January down 1 cent at $9.89, March down 1/2 cent at $9.89-1/2 a bushel.

Falling crude oil and stock markets weighed on prices, but market underpinned by good export demand from Chinese buyers, expectations for bullish USDA production report and firm soymeal.

CBOT-SOYOIL - January down 0.40 cent at 35.52 cents a pound, March down 0.40 cent at 35.78 cents a pound. Following crude oil market lower.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm futures dropped 6.1 percent on Thursday as investors pocketed gains from a rally over the previous eight days, traders said. The sell-off was also fuelled by the biggest daily fall for crude oil in seven years on Wednesday, they said.

The benchmark March palm oil contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange closed down 120 ringgit, or 6.1 percent, at 1,865 ringgit ($527) per tonne.

Other traded contracts dropped between 86 ringgit and 116 ringgit. Overall volume was 18,429 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-Economic worries in the region resurfaced and sent Asian
stocks lower after dire U.S. private employment data and fears about corporate earnings cooled investors' willingness to take on more risk for higher returns.

Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> dropped 2.8 percent to its lowest since Jan. 2.

In Bangkok, the main index <.SETI> closed up 0.45 percent after an early drop of as much as 1.6 percent, helped by late buying in heavyweight energy shares as oil edged above $43 due to escalating violence in the Middle East

Malaysian stocks <.KLSE> lost 1.8 percent, erasing a small 0.58 percent gain on Wednesday. Plantation stocks were among the decliners.