Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks managed modest gains on Tuesday as better-than-expected corporate profits overshadowed concerns about weak consumer demand.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> added 27.81 points, or 0.33 percent, to 8,359.49. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 4.79 points, or 0.53 percent, to 905.84. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> rose 6.52 points, or 0.36 percent, to 1,799.73.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures edged up in post-settlement trading on Tuesday after inventory from the American Petroleum Institute showed crude oil and gasoline supplies fell last week.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, August crude ended Globex trading up 6 cents at $59.75 a barrel, after earlier settling 17 cents, or 0.28 percent lower, at $59.52 a barrel, trading from $59.15 to $61.46.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - July expired 17-1/2 cents per bushel lower at $10.74. August up 16 at $10.34-1/2. Spot July pressured by long-liquidation during expiration. Tight stocks of soybeans begin to lift old-crop August and September in addition to fund buying.

NOPA pegged U.S. June soy crush 133.145 million bushels, below an average of analysts' estimates for 135.9 million and about equal to the 133.513 million in June 2008.

CBOT-SOYOIL - July expired up 0.38 cent per lb at 33.65. August up 0.37 at 33.77.

Short-covering during expiration lifted July with other months supported by short-covering, fund and commercial buying in addition to unwinding of meal/oil spreads.

NOPA pegged U.S. soyoil stocks at the end of June 2.907 bln lbs, above the 2.449 bln lbs at the end of June 2008.

FCPO-JAKARTA, July 14 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures rose 2.3 percent on Tuesday, coming off a 3-½ month low the previous day on speculation that palm exports in the first fifteen days of July, due out Wednesday, were stronger, traders said.

The benchmark September contract on Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives Exchange rose 46 ringgit to 2,036 ringgit ($568.08) per tonne. Volume was 13,534 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, July 14 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets gained ground on Tuesday, with Singapore bouncing from a one-week low after strong second-quarter economic data and Malaysia near a two-week high, with financials among advancers.

Singapore's index <.FTSTI> rose 1.9 percent, erasing Monday's 1.8 percent fall as banks recouped recent losses after news the city state had recovered from its worst recession and upgraded its economic outlook due to rising drug output and construction.

Financial buying also pushed Malaysia's main index <.KLSE> up 1.5 percent to its highest level since July 2, with Bumiputra-Commerce and Public Bank climbing more than 3 percent each.