Trader's Highlight

DJI - NEW YORK, March 4 - U.S. stocks rallied on Wednesday, ending a five-day losing streak, as another Chinese stimulus package boosted commodity prices and encouraged
investors to jump into energy and natural resource shares.

News that China will increase spending on infrastructure and manufacturing drove oil and metals prices higher, helping to underpin the market after it hit a 12-year low a day earlier. Data also suggested China's economy is recovering.

The Dow Jones industrial average rose 149.82 points, or 2.23 percent, to 6,875.84. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained 16.54 points, or 2.38 percent, to 712.87. The Nasdaq Composite Index jumped 32.73 points, or 2.48 percent, to 1,353.74.

NYMEX - NEW YORK, March 4 - U.S. crude futures ended nearly 9 percent higher on Friday, rallying on government data showing a surprise drawdown in domestic crude supplies last week and not the increase forecast by analysts.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, April crude settled up $3.73, or 8.96 percent, at $45.38 a barrel, the highest since the $45.73 settlement on Jan. 26. It traded from $41.04 to 45.76, the highest since Jan. 27's $47.49.

CBOT - SOYBEANS - March up 12-1/2 cents at $8.75-1/2 a bushel. Following stock market and crude oil with tight cash soy markets lending support. No deliveries on the March contract and a conflict between Argentine government and farmers supportive.

CBOT - SOYOIL - March up 0.55 cent at 30.74 cents per lb. Lifted by higher crude oil, Dow, uncertainty about Argentine exports given farmer-government conflict.

FCPO - KUALA LUMPUR, March 4 - Malaysian crude palm oil futures rose 2.53 percent Wednesday, in line with soybean oil and supported by an expected drop in stocks for February.

The benchmark May contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange closed up 47 ringgit at 1,902 ringgit ($512.7) per tonne, reaching a low of 1,856 ringgit and a high of 1,910 ringgit.

REGIONAL EQUITIES - BANGKOK, March 4 - Most Southeast Asian stock markets gained on Wednesday, with Singapore bouncing from four-month lows, led by gains in CapitaLand and SingTel, while battered financial shares recovered in Thailand and Indonesia.

Optimism about the Chinese government's efforts to support its economy lifted sentiment in most Asian stock markets, with good buying interest seen in Singaporean firms whose business stands to benefit in China.

Singapore's index climbed 1.04 percent, with top developer CapitaLand surging 5.4 percent and top telecoms firm Singapore Telecommunications rising 3.2 percent.