Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, June 2 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose for a fourth straight day on Tuesday as an upbeat report on home sales bolstered hopes for an economic recovery as well as shares in construction companies.

But a sell-off in financials on worries about the dilutive impact of recent stock offerings limited a broader advance. An index of pending sales of previously owned U.S. homes shot up 6.7 percent in April, the biggest monthly gain in 7-1/2 years, according to the National Association of Realtors.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> added 19.43 points, or 0.22 percent, to 8,740.87. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 1.87 points, or 0.20 percent, to 944.74. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> rose 8.12 points, or 0.44 percent, to 1,836.80.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, June 2 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures fell further in post-settlement trading on Tuesday after the American Petroleum Institute's inventory data showed that domestic crude stocks fell less than expected last week.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 5:05 p.m. EDT (2105 GMT), July crude was down 35 cents, or 0.51 percent, at $68.23. It earlier settled down 3 cents, or 0.04 percent, at $68.55, trading from $67.50 to $69.05, the highest intraday since prices hit $70.46 on Nov. 5.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - July down 9-1/2 cents at $12.09. Profit-taking after the surge on Monday to new eight-month high. USDA pegged U.S. soy seedings near low end of trade estimates but there is plenty of time to sow the 2009 crop.

CBOT-SOYOIL - July up 0.05 cent at 40.50 cents per lb. Turned firm following late upturn in crude oil and on light fund buying.

FCPO-JAKARTA, June 2 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures dropped 1 percent on Tuesday, easing from a two-week closing high, amid profit-taking as a retreat in crude oil dented market sentiment, traders said.

The benchmark August contract on the Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives Exchange settled down 27 ringgit to 2,598 ringgit ($745.05) per tonne, after going as high as 2,651 ringgit. Overall volume was 9,386 lots of 25 tonnes each, less than the usual 10,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, June 2 (Reuters) - Shares in Singapore and Thailand
fell on Tuesday, snapping a 2-day rally as investors took profits from soaring commodity stocks and other index heavyweights late in the trading session.

Stock markets elsewhere in Southeast Asia ended mixed as demand for shares faded along with easing oil prices, analysts said.

Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> edged down 0.2 percent after surging to a fresh 8-month high in early trade. Developer CapitaLand slid 0.5 percent after a 5.5 percent rise on Monday.

Palm plantation firm Wilmar International fell 3.6 percent on easing Malaysian palm oil futures and a retreating crude oil price.

Malaysia's index <.KLSE> eked out a slim 0.2 percent gain to near a 9-month high. Maybank rose 3.8 percent, building on a 5 percent gain on Monday, while Public Bank
advanced 0.6 percent.