Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Feb 24 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose more than 3 percent on Tuesday to snap back from 12-year lows, after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke delivered a big dose of relief when he signaled that nationalization of big banks was not at hand.

Bernanke said the significant value built up in the country's banks would be lost if they were government-owned, easing investor fears that shareholders would be wiped out if the banks were taken over.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 235.76 points, or 3.31 percent, to 7,350.54. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 29.69 points, or 3.99 percent, to 773.02. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 54.11 points, or 3.90
percent, to 1,441.83.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Feb 24 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures were steady at higher levels late on Tuesday, after the industry group American Petroleum Institute showed reported a rise in domestic crude stocks last week that was less than expected.

Crude futures had settled up nearly 4 percent, aided as Wall Street rebounded from a 12-year low the previous session.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 5 p.m. EST (1700 GMT), April crude was up $1.52, or 3.95 percent, at $39.96. It earlier settled at the same level, after trading from $37.65 to $40.13.

CBOT=SOYBEANS - March up 8-1/4 cents at $8.81 per bushel.

Rally in stock market and crude oil in addition to concerns about a farmer strike in Argentina boosted soybeans as did talk of fresh buying interest by China.

CBOT-SOYOIL - March up 0.20 cent per lb at 30.51 cents. Gains in crude oil, stock market and higher close in soy supported soyoil.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm futures bounced back after losing nearly 3 percent earlier in the day to finish flat on Tuesday on hopes that palm export data due to be released this week would show strong demand, traders said.

There was speculation late in the day that cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Service may put Feb.1-25 exports at 1.06 million tonnes, up from 952,000 tonnes shipped out in the same period a month earlier, another Malaysian trader said.

The benchmark May contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange dropped 9 ringgit, or 0.5 percent, to 1,871 ringgit ($510) per tonne, after dropping as low as 1,828 ringgit.

Other traded contracts rose between 9 and 105 ringgit. Overall volume was 13,476 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stocks fell on
Tuesday as growing concerns about the global financial system pushed Thai stocks down to a one-month low and depressed financial shares in Singapore.

Malaysia closed up 0.7 percent, ending two days of falls, before the country's central bank announced a half-point interest rate cut to 2 percent.

Singapore's index <.FTSTI> ended down 1.0 percent, erasing much of a 2.2 percent rise on Monday