Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Jan 14 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell to six-week lows on Wednesday on worries about steeper losses at banks worldwide and as U.S. retail sales data pointed to a deepening recession.

Highlighting the strain banks are under, The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. government is close to extending billions more aid to Bank of America Corp , sending the bank's stock lower after the bell.

Fears about the banking sector were exacerbated after Morgan Stanley analysts forecast HSBC , Europe's biggest bank, is likely to halve its dividend and may need to raise up to $30 billion of capital, while Germany's Deutsche Bank said it lost more than $6 billion last quarter.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 248.42 points, or 2.94 percent, to 8,200.14. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gave up 29.17 points, or 3.35 percent, at 842.62. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 56.82 points, or 3.67
percent, to 1,489.64.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Jan 14 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended lower on Wednesday, pressured by an unexpectedly large increase last week in distillate supplies which include heating oil and diesel fuel.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, February crude settled at $37.28, down 50 cents, or 1.32 percent, after trading from $35.52 to $39.45. Options on the contract expired at the close.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - January expired 8-1/2 cents per bushel higher at $9.78, March unchanged at $9.71-1/2 a bushel.

Weak crude oil and tumbling stock market add pressure. Fears about heat and drought damaging the crop in Argentina, world's No. 3 soy exporter, lend support in volatile trade.

NOPA pegs U.S. December soy crush 134.787 million bushels, below average estimate for 140.2 million.

CBOT-SOYOIL - January expired down 0.60 cent per lb at 34.00 cents per lb, March down 0.78 cent at 34.05 cents a pound. Weakness in crude oil prices pressuring soyoil futures.

NOPA pegs U.S. December soyoil stocks 2.176 billion lbs versus November 2.042 billion.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures gained nearly 3 percent on Wednesday after posting sharp losses the previous day, as some investors returned to global vegetable oil markets on weather-related fears.

The benchmark March contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange traded up 54 ringgit at 1,884 ringgit ($528.2) a tonne after going as high as 1,894 ringgit.

Other traded months rose between 2 and 35 ringgit <0#KPO:>. Overall trade stood at 7,559 lots of 25 tonnes each, falling from the usual 10,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Jan 14 (Reuters-major Southeast Asian stocks ended mixed, with Singapore shares <.FTSTI> inching up 0.16 percent, Malaysian shares <.KLSE> drifting down 0.03 percent and Philippines stocks <.PSI> closing 0.56 percent lower.