Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, May 19 (Reuters) - The Dow and S&P 500 slipped on Tuesday as financial shares sank and on disappointing housing data, but the Nasdaq rose as investors snapped up technology shares ahead of results from Hewlett Packard .

After a choppy session, financial shares fell as the U.S. Senate passed a bill to curb sudden credit card interest rate increases and hidden fees, a move that analysts said would hurt the profits of major credit card issuers.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 29.23 points, or 0.34 percent, at 8,474.85. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> lost 1.58 points, or 0.17 percent, at 908.13. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 2.18 points, or 0.13 percent, at 1,734.54.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, May 19 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures firmed above $60 a barrel in post-settlement trading on Tuesday after the American Petroleum Institute said that domestic crude stocks fell much more than expected last week.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, at 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT), the new NYMEX front month crude contract, July , was up 82 cents, or 1.38 percent, at $60.41. It had settled earlier up 51 cents, or 0.86 percent, at $60.10, trading from $58.93 to $60.99.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - July up 15-1/2 cents at $11.62 per bushel.

Rallies to 7-1/2-month high with tight soybean stocks, continued active soy buying by China and fund buying combining to lift soybean futures.

Informa Economics pegs US soy ending stocks for 2008/09 at 77 million bushels, below USDA's outlook for 130 million. - trade sources [ID:nN19412161]

CBOT-SOYOIL - July up 0.01 cent per lb at 38.17 cents. Following soybeans and gains in crude oil.

FCPO-JAKARTA, May 19 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm futures rose 2.3 percent on Tuesday to end a three-day losing streak, pulling back from a two-week low, ahead of export figures expected on Wednesday, traders said.

The benchmark August contract rose 60 ringgit to 2,630 ringgit ($745.46) per tonne, after losing 8.2 percent in previous three days. Overall volume was 17,599 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, May 19 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets
posted healthy gains on Tuesday, with banks, property and energy shares such as CapitaLand, Maybank and Perusahaan Gas Negara helping push Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia to one-week highs.

Singapore's main stock index <.FTSTI> climbed 3.8 percent, Malaysia's <.KLSE> 1.1 percent and Indonesia's 4.6 percent. Thai shares <.SETI> hit their highest intraday level in seven months and closed 3 percent higher ahead of a likely Bank of Thailand interest rate cut on Wednesday.