Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Sept 23 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday as investors worried the Federal Reserve is closer to pulling back on extraordinary measures to inject funding to shore up the economy.

The Fed's policy-setters met and kept interest rates unchanged, as expected, but they also said the U.S. central bank would slow purchases of mortgage debt to extend that program's life until the end of March. That was seen as a step toward a measured withdrawal of its extraordinary support for the economy during the downturn.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> shed 81.32 points, or 0.83 percent, to 9,748.55. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> declined 10.79 points, or 1.01 percent, to 1,060.87. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 14.88 points, or 0.69 percent, to 2,131.42.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Sept 23 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures closed nearly 4 percent lower on Wednesday, clearly stung by data showing unexpectedly large weekly increases in domestic crude oil and refined product supplies.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, new front-month November crude settled down $2.79, or 3.89 percent, at $68.97 a barrel, trading from $68.57 to $71.81.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - November down 1-1/2 cents at $9.20-1/2 a bushel. Waning worries about a crop-killing frost next week weighing on markets but futures bounced from session lows as dollar weakened. Soybeans losing ground to corn as spreads adjust after months of soy gaining on corn. Large speculators hold a net long soybean position and are short corn which tends to trigger corn/soy spreading.

US Census Bureau to issue monthly crush data on Thursday. Traders expecting soybean crushings in a range of 118 million to 119.1 million bushels.

CBOT-SOYOIL - October down 0.35 cent at 34.16 cents per lb; December down 0.36 cents at 34.56. Weakness in crude oil market pressures prices.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures dropped 2 percent on Wednesday as traders booked profits after a cargo surveyor reported an improvement in exports and vegetable oil markets weakened.

Benchmark December contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivative Exchange settled down 44 ringgit at 2,146 ringgit ($620) a tonne. Overall volume more than doubled to 11,386 lots of 25 tonnes each compared to the usual 5,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Singapore's stock market ended
flat on Wednesday as big caps such as DBS Group and CapitaLand came under selling pressure, and other regional bourses were mixed, with Malaysian banks falling but Thai energy shares up.

Selling brought regional indexes down from their day's highs ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve policy decision later in the day, with its post-meeting statement expected to provide direction on the economic outlook.

Malaysia <.KLSE> eased 0.2 percent after touching 15-month highs, weighed down by a 3.9 percent fall in Malaysia Mining Corp and a 2.1 percent loss in financial firm AMMB