Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Nov 16 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose broadly on Monday, sending indexes to fresh 13-month closing highs, after Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke reinforced expectations that interest rates would stay low to spur growth.

Bernanke repeated that the Fed was likely to keep interest rates exceptionally low for "an extended period," a pledge that weighed on the U.S. dollar and drove investors to snap up shares of natural resource companies as prices of global commodities -- from gold to wheat -- shot higher.

In a speech before the Economic Club of New York, Bernanke said the recovery would not be as robust as previously hoped, and rising unemployment and tight bank lending were significant headwinds.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 136.49 points, or 1.33 percent, to 10,406.96. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> shot up 15.82 points, or 1.45 percent, to 1,109.30 -- its first close above the psychologically important 1,100 level for the first time since October 2008.

The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> jumped 29.97 points, or 1.38 percent, to 2,197.85.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Nov 16 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures ended more than 3 percent higher on Monday as a weakened dollar prompted investors to buy into commodities.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, December crude settled up $2.55, or 3.34 percent, at $78.90 a barrel, trading from $76.32 to $79.52. On Friday it hit a low of $75.57, the cheapest since prices hit $74.79 on Oct. 15.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - January up 23 cents at $10.10 per bushel. Weak dollar, firm crude oil and gains in equities and gold combine buoy soybean futures. Return to wet weather in portions of U.S. Midwest that will slow soy harvest also supportive.

NOPA October soy crush at 155.262 million bushels, well above trade estimates for 137.9 million.

CBOT-SOYOIL - December up 1.16 cents at 39.77 cents per lb. Support from gains in soybeans, higher crude oil and weak dollar.

NOPA pegs U.S. October soyoil stocks 2.286 billion lbs, versus September 2.262 billion.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures rose 2.1 percent on Monday to an 11-week closing high supported by strong exports in the first fifteen days of November and a jump in crude oil prices, traders said.

The benchmark February contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange rose 48 ringgit to 2,336 ringgit ($694.20) per tonne, a level not seen since Aug. 28. Overall volume shot up to 19,487 lots of 25 tonnes each from the usual 10,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Singapore's stock index <.FTSTI>
climbed to its highest in 15 months on Monday, leading gains in other major Southeast Asian stock markets as investors snapped up banks and CapitaLand gained on plans to list its mall unit.

The Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> ended up 2.1 percent at its highest since Aug. 18, 2008, led by a 5.2 percent surge in United Overseas Bank , a 4.2 percent climb in Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp and a 3 percent gain in DBS .

Malaysia's index <.KLSE> was up 0.6 percent, led by a 2.8 percent rise in financial CIMB Group Holdings following its plan to raise about 4.5 billion baht ($136 million) from a public offering in the Thai market by the middle of 2010.

Its 94 percent owned CIMB Thai Bank gained 2.3 percent on the Thai bourse, while the broader Thai stock market was up 1.2 percent on the day. Among gainers in Kuala Lumpur, shipping firm MISC rose 2.2 percent and Petronas Gas was up 1.5 percent.