Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, May 21 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks slid in a broad sell-off on Thursday as investors, concerned about the U.S. budget deficit, exited dollar-denominated assets across the board.

Markets came under severe selling pressure as a result of an outlook downgrade for the U.K.'s triple-A credit rating heightened fears that the United States, with its increasing budget deficit and weakened economy, could face a similar fate.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 129.91 points, or 1.54 percent, to 8,292.13. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 15.14 points, or 1.68 percent, to 888.33. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 32.59 points, or 1.89 percent, to 1,695.25.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, May 21 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended with pared losses on Thursday as the dollar shifted lower and as news of a temporary shutdown of the only deepwater oil port in the nation caused some supply jitters.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, July crude settled down 99 cents, or 1.6 percent, at $61.05 a barrel, trading from $59.92 to $61.87.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - July up 6 cents at $11.75. Support from tight stocks and strong export demand but gains limited by profit-taking, lower stock market and lower crude

CBOT-SOYOIL - July down 0.39 cent at 37.98. Lower crude oil and profit-taking weighing on soyoil futures.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm futures fell 3.96 percent on Thursday after recent strong gains as tight domestic supply fuelled concerns that buyers would eventually switch to rival Indonesia.

The benchmark August contract on Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives Exchange closed 103 ringgit lower at 2,499 Malaysian ringgit ($709.7). Overall volume stood at 22,324 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, May 21 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets
mostly fell on Thursday, mirroring weakness around Asia after a downbeat forecast for U.S. economic growth, with big caps like DBS Group, Telekom Malaysia and PTT among the losers.

Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> dropped 2.6 percent, ending four days of gains, while Thailand <.SETI> dropped 2.3 percent after a four-day rally and Malaysia <.KLSE> snapped a two-day rise to close down 0.7 percent.

Philippine stocks <.PSI> were flat but Vietnam <.VNI> bucked the trend, rising for a fifth day by 0.5 percent. Indonesia <.JKSE> was closed for market holiday.