Trader's Highlight

FCPO-JAKARTA, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm futures retreated from a five-week high to finish 3.6 percent lower on Monday as news of weak exports sparked profit-taking, traders said.

The day also saw trading briefly suspended due to a technical glitch.

The benchmark May contract fell 72 ringgit or 3.6 percent to 1,922 ringgit ($532) per tonne, after going as high as 2,017 ringgit, the highest since Jan. 7.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets fell on Monday as fears of a worsening global recession continued to stifle demand for equities, dragging down financial shares such as Singapore's DBS and Thailand's Bangkok Bank.

Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> led the losers, falling 1.3 percent after posting a 1.2 percent gain last Friday, with banking and commodity blue chips leading decliners.

Malaysian shares <.KLSE>, the best performers in the region so far this year, ended 0.3 percent lower, while the Philippines <.PSI> eased 0.2 percent and Vietnam <.VNI> dropped 0.8 percent, at one stage hitting its lowest since October 2005. Thai stocks <.SETI>, however, bucked the trend to rise 0.2 percent and Indonesian shares <.JKSE> gained 0.24 percent.