Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Oct 7 (Reuters) - The Standard & Poor's 500 and Nasdaq indexes edged up on Wednesday with investors responding positively to early earnings results as the quarterly reporting period got under way.

The mild moves follow two days of strong gains for the market, helped by optimism about third-quarter profits. Expectations for the quarter have been high following the second quarter's strong showing, where more than 70 percent of companies beat Wall Street's consensus estimates.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 5.67 points, or 0.06 percent, at 9,725.58. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 2.86 points, or 0.27 percent, at 1,057.58. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 6.76 points, or 0.32 percent, at 2,110.33.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Oct 7 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended nearly 2 percent lower on Wednesday, weighed down by government data showing larger-than-expected supply increases in gasoline and distillate fuels last week.

Traders ignored data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showing a surprise drawdown in crude stocks.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, November crude settled down $1.31, or 1.85 percent, at $69.57 a barrel, trading from $68.88 to $71.76.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - November up 2 cents at $9.12 a bushel. Market ended firm but range-bound, caught between bearish outlook for a record U.S. soy harvest and support from a slow harvest given crop immaturity and rains. Weekend freeze headed to Midwest that may harm some crops.

CBOT-SOYOIL - October down 0.21 cent at 33.73 cents a lb; December down 0.22 at 34.04. Pressured by falling crude oil market amid EIA data showing larger-than-expected increases in refined product stocks.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Malaysia's crude palm oil futures edged higher on Wednesday but shed some of the day's gain on late selling because of worries over poor fundamentals including weak exports and higher production, traders said.

The benchmark December contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivative Exchange settled up 15 ringgit, or 0.7 percent, at 2,077 ringgit ($608.20) a tonne, after going as high as 2,100 ringgit. Trade volumes were at 12,322 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets
extended recent gains on Wednesday, with Singapore nearing a one-week high and Malaysia climbing to its highest in almost two weeks on buying interest in financials and commodity shares.

Singapore's index <.FTSTI> climbed to its highest since Oct. 1 and ended up almost 1 percent, with developer CapitaLand up 1.3 percent, lender DBS Group adding 0.8 percent and Genting Singapore adding 3.8 percent.

Palm plantation stocks were in the spotlight after gains in Malaysia's crude palm oil future.

In Singapore, Wilmar International gained 1 percent and Golden Agri rose 2.3 percent. In Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Kepong rose 1.3 percent and IOI Corp rose 1.4 percent.

Malaysia's index <.KLSE> hit its highest since Sept. 24, Thailand's index <.SETI> gained 1.4 percent while indices in the Philippines <.PSI> and Vietnam <.VNI> each gained more than 2 percent.