Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Feb 26 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell in volatile trading on Thursday as investors sold off shares of healthcare companies such as Merck & Co on worries that U.S. President Barack Obama's budget proposal will strangle profits.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 88.81 points, or 1.22 percent, to 7,182.08. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> shed 12.07 points, or 1.58 percent, to 752.83. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> fell 33.96 points, or 2.38 percent, to 1,391.47.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Feb 26 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures gained sharply for the third day in a row on Thursday on continued gasoline strength after government data on Wednesday showed a surprise sharp drawdown in gasoline supplies last week.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, April crude settled up $2.72, or 6.4 percent, at $45.22 a barrel, ending the highest since Jan. 26's $45.73. It traded from $42.27 to $45.30, the highest since Jan. 27's $47.49, after breaking through technical resistance at $44.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - March down 8-3/4 cents $8.69-1/4 a bushel.

Turns lower as disappointing exports and talk USDA's outlook for U.S. soybean stocks to build in 2009/10 weigh. Weak South American cash basis also weighed on soy. New-crop November held relatively firm on support from USDA's outlook for 2009 U.S. soy seedings.

Census said January soy crush 145.19 million bushels, slightly below estimates for 145.7 million.

More plantings will mean bigger 2009/10 U.S. soy carryout.

USDA at its annual outlook forum forecast 2009 U.S. soy plantings at 77 million acres versus 2008 plantings of 75.718 million. Traders expected at 2 million-3 million increase.

CBOT-SOYOIL - March down 0.26 cent at 31.64 cents per lb.

Turned lower as soybeans fell. Census stocks number bearish.

Census said end January soyoil stocks 2.929 billion lbs, above estimates for 2.874 billion.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm futures gave up a nearly 2 percent gain to finish marginally lower on Thursday, as selling was sparked by falls in rival soybean prices, traders said.

The benchmark May contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange shed 4 ringgit, or 0.2 percent, to 1,890 ringgit ($515) a tonne, coming off an intra-day high of 1,930 ringgit.

Other traded contract were mixed, with some rising between 41 and 51 ringgit, while others fell between 3 and 15 ringgit. Overall volume was 11,973 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stocks weakened on Thursday, with Indonesia sinking to its lowest in more than two months on the back of weak results at Indosat, but Singapore ended nearly unchanged.

The main Thai stock index <.SETI> dropped 0.5 percent, Malaysia's key stock index <.KLSE> eased 0.3 percent, the Philippine index <.PSI> was down 0.4 percent and Vietnam's VNI index <.VNI> shed 0.7 percent.