Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Sept 28 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rallied on Monday, snapping a three-day losing streak, as a spurt of corporate takeovers in the technology and health-care sectors fueled optimism about share values.

Mergers and acquisitions are typically viewed as bullish as it suggests companies are more optimistic about the business outlook.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 124.17 points, or 1.28 percent, to end at 9,789.36. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 18.60 points, or 1.78 percent, to 1,062.98. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> shot up 39.82 points, or 1.90 percent, to 2,130.74.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Sept 28 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures rose more than 1 percent on Monday, on jitters over Iran's latest test-firing of missiles and as Wall Street rallied on stepped up mergers and acquisition activity.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, November crude settled up 82 cents, or 1.24 percent, at $66.84 a barrel, trading from $65.41 to $67.54.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - November down 6-1/2 cents per bushel at $9.19-1/2.

Pressure from approach of harvest of potential record large U.S. soybean crop.
Possible frost overnight Monday and early Tuesday in northern U.S. Midwest soy growing areas but no significant harm to soy likely and no concerns for frost or freeze over the next 10 days. [

CBOT-SOYOIL - October down 0.80 cent per lb at 33.24 cents. Spillover selling pressure from weak soybeans and meal/oil spreading.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures slid 4.8 percent on Monday, hitting a two week low, as traders booked profits after an industry analyst over the weekend painted a short-term bearish picture of the market.

The benchmark December contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivative Exchange fell as much as 104 ringgit to 2,082 ringgit ($599.5) before settling down 83 ringgit at 2,103 ringgit.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets extended recent losses on Monday in a market wary of weak U.S. economic data, while lower oil prices forced down big-cap energy and resource shares across the region.

Singapore <.FTSTI> lost more than 1 percent to its lowest in almost three weeks, while Malaysia <.KLSE> and Indonesia <.JKSE> slid to near-two-week lows, ending down 0.9 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively.

Thailand <.SETI> and the Philippines <.PSI> each fell more than 1 percent to one-week lows, while Vietnam <.VNI>, Southeast Asia's best performer last week, inched down 0.1 percent.