The rally was spurred by positive comments from some major banks and hopes that the economy was showing signs of stabilization, but those hopes were dented by Tuesday's
unexpected drop in retail sales.
After a choppy session, the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 109.44 points, or 1.38 percent, to 8,029.62. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 10.56 points, or 1.25 percent, to 852.06. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added
1.08 points, or 0.07 percent, to 1,626.80.
NYMEX-NEW YORK, April 15 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended lower on Wednesday, pressured by data showing domestic crude stocks rose last week to their highest in nearly 19 years.
Losses were sharply pared, however, as Wall Street rose on better-than-expected U.S. manufacturing data, and that helped crude recover from the day's lows.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, May crude
CBOT-CHICAGO, April 15 (Reuters) - U.S. soybeans climbed for a fifth straight session on Wednesday and hit a fresh three-month high as China, the world's largest soy importer, keeps buying soy.
There was talk the Brazilian soybean export market was on fire and export sources said Brazil sold six soybean cargoes with four destined for China and two headed for Taiwan.
FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm futures fell 1.1 percent on Wednesday, easing from an 8-month high notched earlier in the session as some investors booked profits on a rally fuelled by speculation of a drawdown in stocks.
The benchmark June contract
Other traded months fell between 22 and 41 ringgit except the front-month which rose 20 ringgit <0#KPO:>. Overall volume doubled to 21,681 lots of 25 tonnes each from the usual 10,000 lots.
REGIONAL EQUITIES-Elsewhere in the region, Singapore's Straits Times Index
<.FTSTI> finished 0.47 percent higher, driven by property shares.
The Kuala Lumpur Composite <.KLSE> inched 0.31 percent higher. The region's smaller markets fell. Philippines <.PSI> lost
0.72 percent while Vietnam shares <.VNI> dropped 2.24 percent.
