Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks jumped on Thursday after Wells Fargo said it expects to report a record quarterly profit, fueling a month-long rally prompted by hopes that deterioration in the financial sector was abating.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 246.27 points, or 3.14 percent, to 8,083.38. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 31.40 points, or 3.81 percent, to 856.56. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> climbed 61.88 points, or 3.89 percent, to 1,652.54.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures ended higher for a second day in a row on Thursday, latching on to rising stock markets and data showing U.S. jobless claims eased, spurring hopes that oil demand could improve.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, May crude settled up up $2.86, or 5.79 percent, at $52.24 a barrel, trading from $49.72 to $54.45.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - May up 1 cent at $10.07 per bushel. Support from USDA's April supply/demand report that showed 2008/09 U.S. soy ending stocks slightly below estimates and USDA trimming its Argentine soy crop estimate by 4 million tonnes to 39 million tonnes. Rallying stock market and crude oil supportive.

USDA pegs U.S. 2008/09 soy end stocks at 165 million bushels, below an average estimate of 167 million. If realized, would be the tightest bean supply since Aug. 31, 2004.

CBOT-SOYOIL - May up 0.43 cent at 35.42 cents per lb. Following soybeans, stock market and crude oil.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 (Reuters) - Asian vegetable oil markets jumped on Thursday, lifted by expectations of global tightness in supplies and a rise in crude oil prices .

The benchmark June contract on Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives Exchange rose as much as 116 ringgit to 2,281 ringgit ($628.7) per tonne, a level unseen since Sept. 29, 2008 before settling at 2,269 ringgit, up 4.8 percent.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, April 9 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stocks ended mostly higher on Thursday on hopes that retail spending may be picking up in the United States, although trade was slow because of market holidays around the region.

In Kuala Lumpur, the index <.KLSE> gained 1.1 percent, ending a two-day decline, buoyed by buying of conglomerate Genting , up 3.3 percent, and top lender Maybank , up 1.6 percent.

The Philippine stock market <.PSI> is closed for the rest of the week for holidays, and Indonesia <.JKSE> was closed because of elections. Thailand is closed for three days next week.