Trader's Highlight

DJI - NEW YORK, Feb 10 - U.S. stocks tumbled more than 4 percent on Tuesday as investors pummeled bank shares on concerns a reworked plan to shore up the financial sector may not be enough to thaw credit markets and alleviate the
deepening recession.

The Dow industrials posted their biggest one-day loss since Dec. 1. Losses accelerated after the Treasury Department rolled out an intensely awaited financial rescue plan, saying it would spend up to $2 trillion to mop up bad bank assets and revive consumer lending.

The Dow Jones industrial average was down 381.99 points, or 4.62 percent, at 7,888.88. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 42.73 points, or 4.91 percent, at 827.16. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 66.83 points, or 4.20 percent, at 1,524.73.

NYMEX - NEW YORK, Feb 10 - U.S. crude oil futures pared losses in post-settlement trading on Tuesday after the industry group American Petroleum Institute's weekly inventory data showed crude stockpiles fell instead of rose as forecast by
analysts.

Earlier, crude futures ended more than 5 percent lower after the government revised lower its global and U.S. 2009 oil demand estimates and as Wall Street tumbled on doubts about a bank rescue plan's prospects for success.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, at 5:15 p.m. EST (2205 GMT), March crude was down $1.43, or 3.61 percent, at $38.13 a barrel. It earlier setttled at $37.55, down $2.01, or 5.08 percent, after trading from $37.35, the lowest since prices hit $32.70 on Jan. 20, to $41.80. In floor trading session, a late sell-off breached the contract's lifetime low of $38.

CBOT - SOYBEANS - March down 8 cents to $9.94 a bushel.

Slipped on profit-taking after recent rally on worries about a smaller South American soybean output due to dryness. USDA confirmed those expectations in Tuesday report, cutting its forecast for the Argentine and Brazilian soybean crops.

CBOT - SOYOIL - March down 0.59 cent per lb to 33.64 cents.

Pressed by weakness in soybeans and crude oil. USDA also raised its 2008/09 U.S. soyoil end stocks forecast by 100 million pounds.

FCPO - KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 - Malaysian crude palm futures jumped 4.7 percent on Tuesday to hit a one-month high as investors bet on more orders for the vegetable oil because of drought conditions in rival soyoil-producing Argentina.

Cargo surveyor Societe Generale de Surveillance reported slight declines to 372,782 tonnes for Feb. 1-10 palm exports, suggest that Asian buyers may be slowly shifting focus to palm oil rather than soyoil.

The benchmark April contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange settled up 89 ringgit to 1,969 ringgit ($549.4), a level not seen since Jan. 12.

REGIONAL EQUITIES - BANGKOK, Feb 10 - Singapore shares climbed more than 1 percent on Tuesday after analysts welcomed news of a rights issue from CapitaLand, while Malaysian shares hit a 4-week high as higher palm oil prices pushed up plantation stocks.

Singapore rose 1.3 percent, recouping part of its 1.9 percent loss on Monday, with developer CapitaLand surging 11.4 percent after analysts said a plan to raise over $1.2 billion in a rights issue gave it flexibility for acquisitions.

In Kuala Lumpur, the main index rose 0.8 percent to its highest since Jan. 15, with planter IOI Corp adding 2.6 percent in line with Malaysian crude palm futures, which climbed to a one-month high.