Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Feb 18 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed marginally lower on Wednesday as President Barack Obama's $275 billion plan to prop up the housing market failed to stem worries about the economy, and bleak housing data highlighted the deepening recession.

Indexes see-sawed in a narrow range throughout the day, but the S&P and Nasdaq ultimately failed to hold gains despite bargain-hunting that sent investors to the perceived safety of defensive stocks, such as technology and consumer staples.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> added 3.03 points, or 0.04 percent, to 7,555.63. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was off 0.75 points, or 0.10 percent, to 788.42. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> edged down 2.69 points, or 0.18 percent, at 1,467.97.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Feb 18 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures were little changed in post-settlement trading on Wednesday after the industry group American Petroleum Institute reported a lower-than-expected build in crude stocks last week.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 4:50 p.m. (2150 GMT), March crude was down 34 cents, or 0.97 percent, at $34.59 a barrel. It had settled down 31 cents, or 0.89 percent, at $34.62, after trading from $34.16 to $36.22. The March crude

CBOT-SOYBEANS - March down 15-1/2 at $8.87-1/2 per bushel. Late fund selling amid concerns about waning demand amid global economic recession weighs on market as did improved crop weather in Argentina. March fell to near two-month low.

CBOT-SOYOIL - March down 0.73 cent at 30.42 cents per lb. Market turns lower as soybeans decline.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm futures recovered nearly two-thirds of the day's loss after tumbling to nine-day lows on short-covering, but still finished in the red for a third straight day on Wednesday, traders said.

The benchmark May contract fell 20 ringgit, or 1.1 percent, to 1,875 ringgit ($513) per tonne, having gone down as low as 1,842 ringgit, the level unseen since February 6.

Other traded contracts fell between 16 and 34 ringgit <0#KPO:>. Overall volume was 13,076 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stocks were mixed
on Wednesday, with Singapore recouping early losses to end almost 1 percent higher on gains in SingTel and other big caps while Malaysia hit its lowest in almost two weeks, pulled down by plantation stocks.

Singapore's benchmark index <.FTSTI> gained 0.8 percent, with Singapore Telecommunications , Southeast Asia's largest phone firm, up 1.2 percent, while Malaysia's index <.KLSE> fell 0.4 percent, with planter IOI Corp off 3.1 percent.