The market extended opening gains after data showed U.S. existing home sales rose in June -- the first time since 2004 that this measure has risen three months in a row. The Dow Jones U.S. home construction index <.DJUSHB> jumped 4.9 percent.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> jumped 188.03 points, or 2.12 percent, to end at 9,069.29 -- its highest close since November 2008. It was the Dow's first close above 9,000 since January 2009.
NYMEX-NEW YORK, July 23 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended sharply higher on Thursday as a Wall Street rally and strong RBOB gasoline futures helped lift crude above $67 a barrel.
A strengthening contango, where prices for crude in future months exceed the front-month price, added to support for oil along, with expectations for reduced crude exports from OPEC.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, September crude
CBOT-SOYBEANS - August
Census pegs June U.S. soy crush 140.2 million bushels, above an average of analysts' estimates for 138.5 million.
CBOT-SOYOIL - August
Suported by gains in soybeans. But small number for soyoil in USDA's weekly export sales report and a big number for U.S. soyoil ending stocks for June in the Census Bureau's June crush report limited gains.
Census pegs June U.S. soyoil ending stocks 3.403 billion lbs, above an average of analysts' estimates for 3.354 billion.
FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil ended up 0.8 percent on Thursday, halting two straight days of losses, as traders bet on better festival demand in the coming weeks and sentiment improved on higher external markets.
The benchmark October contract
REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, July 23 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Thursday, with Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia recouping recent losses and Malaysia rising for a second day, with banking, property and resource shares among advancers.
Singapore's index <.FTSTI> rose 1.4 percent, with Singapore Exchange
Exchange
of a new chief executive.
The Vietnamese index <.VNI> jumped 3.5 percent on Thursday while Malaysia's index <.KLSE> was up 0.3 percent, adding to a 1.23 percent rise on Wednesday, led by a 3.3 percent gain in Genting