Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, July 24 (Reuters) - The Nasdaq fell on Friday, halting a 12-day run-up, following Microsoft Corp's disappointing quarterly results, but gains in pharmaceutical and energy shares lifted the Dow and the S&P 500 to fresh
8-month closing highs.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 23.95 points, or 0.26 percent, to 9,093.24. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> advanced 2.97 points, or 0.30 percent, to 979.26. But the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> shed 7.64 points, or 0.39
percent, to 1,965.96.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, July 24 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended higher on Friday, settling above $68 a barrel after seesawing as optimism about economic recovery, supportive refined products futures and a weaker dollar lifted crude oil.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, September crude rose 89 cents, or 1.33 percent, to settle at at $68.05 a barrel, trading from $66.46 to $68.18. The settlement was the highest since crude futures closed at $69.31 on July 1.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - August down 2-1/2 cents at $10.21 a bushel. Tight stocks of soy support spot August contract but deferred months months down on talk USDA, in its August crop report, may trim its estimate for U.S. 2009 corn acres but increase its forecast for soy seedings. Profit taking also pressures market.

Trade expecting USDA to release a steady crop rating for soybeans late on Monday.

CBOT-SOYOIL - August down 0.78 cent at 33.89 cents per lb. Following soybeans lower.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil rose 1.1 percent on Friday as investors took long positions ahead of better export data next week, signalling that festival demand is gaining momentum.

Open interest rose to 81,000 lots from 73,000 lots at the start of the week as traders re-entered the market on expectations that July 1-25 Malaysian palm oil exports could hit 1.2 million tonnes, up 22 percent from the same period a month ago.

The benchmark October contract on Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives Exchange settled up 22 ringgit to 2,122 ringgit ($601) per tonne. Overall volume stood at 11,905 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, July 24 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets ended the week on a high note, with Indonesia scaling a one-year high and Singapore climbing to its highest in 10 months thanks to buying of resource and banking shares.

Singapore's index <.FTSTI> rose nearly 2 percent on Friday to its highest since Sept. 22, led by Singapore Exchange , which jumped 4.5 percent to a 14-month high, and commodity-related Noble Group , which surged 7.9 percent.

Malaysia's index <.KLSE> edged up 0.3 percent, building on a two-session gain of 1.53 percent, with lender Malayan Banking and Genting each rising 1.6 percent.

Bucking the trend, IOI Corp fell 2.4 percent after the country's second-largest palm oil producer said it was planning a rights issue to raise up to 1.22 billion ringgit ($339 million).