Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Nov 25 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose in light trading volume on Wednesday, supported by data that pointed to stabilization in the labor and housing markets, areas that have fed concerns about a "double dip" recession.

Trading volume was among the lightest of the year one day before the Thanksgiving holiday, with many senior traders absent from trading floors. Even so, the Dow industrials and the S&P 500 edged to fresh 13-month highs.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 30.69 points, or 0.29 percent, to end at 10,464.40. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 4.98 points, or 0.45 percent, to 1,110.63. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> advanced 6.87 points, or 0.32 percent, to close at 2,176.05.

U.S. financial markets will be closed on Thursday to mark Thanksgiving. On Friday, trading resumes, but the U.S. stock market will close early at 1 p.m. (1800 GMT).

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Nov 25 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures rose on Wednesday, lifted by the weak dollar after a government oil inventory report showed crude stocks rose last week.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, January crude rose $1.94, or 2.55 percent, to settle at $77.96 a barrel, trading from $75.50 to $78.04.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - January up 8-1/2 cents at $10.54-1/2 a bushel. Market turns higher after early weakness as crude oil prices rally. Strong global demand continues to lend strength to soy, which closed 1 cent below its intraday high.

U.S. Census pegs October soybean crush at 163.06 million bushels, slightly below estimates for 163.7 million bushels.

CBOT-SOYOIL - December up 0.87 cent at 40.57 cents per lb. Rally in crude oil, weak dollar support prices.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil scored 15-week highs on Wednesday, supported by speculation rainy weather will hit output, but ended back from those highs on slowing export growth as reported by cargo surveyors.

Palm oil scaled its highest since Aug.14 earlier in the session. The benchmark February contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange rose as much as 40 ringgit to 2,518 ringgit ($746.9) before settling 3 ringgit higher at 2,481 ringgit.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Vietnam's stock market hit a
three-month low on Wednesday after the central bank raised interest rates and devalued the currency but Thailand rose nearly 3 percent on relief an anti-government protest was postponed.

Singapore edged higher while other Southeast Asian markets eased slightly. In Singapore, shares in CapitaMalls Asia gained 8.5 percent to S$2.3 on their debut, compared with the initial public offer price of S$2.12.

In Kuala Lumpur, financial firm AMMB Holdings was down 2.4 percent and telecoms firm Maxis was up 1.9 percent.