Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Oct 16 (Reuters) - World stocks fell and the euro retreated against the U.S. dollar on Friday as weak results from General Electric Co and Bank of America Corp dimmed confidence in a profit-driven economic recovery.

GE, the biggest U.S. conglomerate, reported a 42-percent drop in profit and Bank of America posted a quarterly loss, leading investors to rein in risk appetites whetted by strong JPMorgan Chase & Co results earlier in the week.

U.S. indexes dropped. The Dow industrials <.DJI> fell 67.03 points, or 0.67 percent, to 9,995.91. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> declined 8.88 points, or 0.81 percent, to 1,087.68, and the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dropped 16.49 points, or 0.76 percent, to 2,156.80.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Oct 16 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures extended gains to a seventh straight session on Friday and closed at the highest level in a year, lifted by a late rally in gasoline futures and higher prices for heating oil.

The day's gains appeared to be a follow-through of Thursday's buying that was sparked by government data showing surprise drawdowns in gasoline and distillate stocks, which include heating oil and diesel.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, November crude settled up 95 cents, or 1.22 percent, at $78.53 a barrel, the highest close since Oct. 14, 2008's $78.63. It
traded from $76.82 to $78.67, the highest intraday since $79.17 was hit on Oct. 15, 2008. For the week, the contract gained $6.76, or 9.42 percent.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - November down 5-1/2 cents at $9.77-1/2 a bushel. Better harvest weather for a few days weighing on soy futures but forecasts for wet and cool weather by mid-week underpinning the market.

CBOT-SOYOIL - December up 0.16 cent at 36.94. Choppy trade with early week rally in crude oil lending support.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures jumped 3.2 percent on Friday, bouncing from one-week lows hit the previous day after crude oil rose to another one-year high above $78 a barrel.

The benchmark January contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivative Exchange settled up 67 ringgit to 2,178 ringgit ($646.1).

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Oct 16 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets ended on Friday mixed, with Singapore's index heavyweights surrendering recent gains while Thailand climbed more than three percent in a rebound from a two-day selloff. Elsewhere, Singapore <.FTSTI> ended down 0.2 percent, after a 1.64 percent rise over the past two days which pushed the market to a 13-month high.

Malaysia <.KLSE> gained 0.8 percent with Public Bank up 0.4 percent as broker TA raised its recommendation on the bank to buy from sell, citing an improved outlook following better-than-expected results.

Bursa Malaysia rose 0.5 percent after reporting higher third quarter net profit and forecast good outlook for the remainder of the year.