Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Aug 4 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks edged higher on Tuesday, led by the financial sector as economic data pointed to a sustained if slow recovery from the recession, taking the Dow and the S&P 500 to nine-month highs. The Nasdaq achieved its highest close since early
October.

On Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 33.63 points, or 0.36 percent, to close at 9,320.19. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 3.02 points, or 0.30 percent, to 1,005.65. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> edged up 2.70 points, or 0.13 percent, to end at 2,011.31.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Aug 4 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures rose in post-settlement trading on Tuesday, after industry data showed a surprise drawdown in crude oil inventories last week against the forecast for a stock build.

The API said that crude stocks fell 1.5 million barrels to 350.9 million barrels as imports dropped sharply.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange at the close of electronic trading at 5:15 p.m. EDT (2105 GMT), September crude was up 23 cents, or 0.32 percent, at $71.81 a barrel, with the day's high extended to $71.95. It earlier settled down 16 cents, or 0.22 percent, at $71.42 after trading from $70.16 to $71.91.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - August down 8-1/2 cents at $11.65 a bushel; new-crop November up 1 at $10.31-1/2.

Turned mixed as old-crop/new-crop spreads adjust after recent gains in Aug/Nov. New-crop Nov supported by weather jitters as Midwest to turn hot this week and talk that USDA may cut its 2009 U.S. soy crop estimate in Aug. 12 crop report.

CBOT-SOYOIL - August down 0.09 cent at 37.45 cents.

Profit-taking adjustment after Monday's gains when market closed near up the 2-1/2 cent limit amid a weak dollar and $2 a barrel rise in crude oil.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures edged up on Tuesday, but ended off new five-week highs notched earlier in the session, as a pull back in crude oil markets erased some gains in vegetable oil prices.

The benchmark October contract on Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives Exchange hit a session high of 2,345 ringgit ($672.1), a level unseen since June 26, but settled at 2,304 ringgit when crude oil fell.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Indonesian shares hit a 13-month
high on Tuesday, pushed up by gains in coal mining and banking shares, but profit-taking wiped out early gains in Singapore and Thailand and both ended lower.

Singapore's index <.FTSTI> ended down 1.2 percent, led by a 2.1 percent fall in developer CapitaLand . DBS Group and Singapore TelecommunicationS each lost about 1.7 percent.

Malaysia's index <.KLSE> climbed 0.7 percent as investors bought palm plantation firms, pushing Sime Darby and IOI Corp almost 2 percent higher.

AirAsia fell 5.8 percent because of future earnings dilution when it issues new shares. Southeast Asia's largest budget carrier said it had seen strong demand for the share issue, worth $172 million, which it will use to reduce its debt.