Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Oct 1 (Reuters) - The Dow and S&P 500 suffered their worst one-day fall in three months on Thursday after economic reports fueled fears about the recovery's strength.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> tumbled 203.00 points, or 2.09 percent, to end at 9,509.28. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> slid 27.23 points, or 2.58 percent, to 1,029.85. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 64.94 points, or 3.06 percent, to 2,057.48.

Bank of America Corp shares slipped 4.2 percent to $16.21 after Chief Executive Ken Lewis said he was retiring after months of being dogged by a series of government investigations into the company's acquisition of Merrill Lynch. The company did not name a successor. The news was announced late on Wednesday.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Oct 1 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures closed higher in a late run-up on Thursday on worries about talks between Iran and the West over its nuclear program and as follow-through buying spurred by improved demand lifted gasoline futures.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday Iran heard a unified message from the international community at talks in Geneva, and Tehran must now take steps to ensure its nuclear program is not for weapons.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, November crude settled up 21 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $70.82 a barrel, trading from $69.13 to $71.39.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - November down 9 cents at $9.18 a bushel. Following drop in crude oil market amid thin volume. Expectations for a large crop also weigh on prices.

CBOT-SOYOIL - October up 0.28 cent at 34.25 cents per lb; December up 0.26 cent at 34.59. Some unwinding of meal/oil spreads supports market but drop in crude oil prices limits gains.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures inched up 0.5 percent on Wednesday as a jump in crude prices the previous day lifted the market in light trade.

The benchmark December contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivative Exchange settled up 10 ringgit to 2,115 ringgit ($611.3) per tonne after going as high as 2,130 ringgit.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-On Monday, the market fell to 2,082 ringgit, a level unseen
since Se BANGKOK, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets ended mixed on Thursday with Thailand outperforming on buying in banking shares while big capitalised companies such as Ayala Land, Axiata Group and Medco Energy led the way elsewhere.

Regional markets came off their days' high as trading volume declined amid caution over the pace of economic recovery. Thailand's index <.SETI> climbed 1.4 percent, Malaysia's index <.KLSE> added 0.5 percent, Indonesia's index <.JKSE> was up 0.4 percent while the Philipines <.PSI> gained 1 percent.

Indexes in Singapore <.FTSTI> and Vietnam <.VNI> drifted into a negative territoy, sliding 0.6 percent and 2.1 percent, respectively. pt. 14.