Trader's Comment: Positive external factors led CPO futures to end generally higher.

Positive external factors led CPO futures to end generally higher. Higher soy prices in eCBOT couple with steady Dalian palm had contributed some supportive tone for today’s market. Initially it hit the intra day low at 1836 after opened RM20 higher at 1855. Thereafter, Benchmark may09 started to trade steadily through out most of the sessions. It hit intra day high of 1892 in the afternoon session before it hovered between 1885-1860 level and later settled RM45 higher at 1880. Generally, the “bull” was in upper hand today due to lack of aggressive selling. With last week good export numbers, market players believe that February inventory are likely to drawn down due to expecting lower production. The strong rebound in regional equity market also provided some friendly sentiment to CPO market.

Breaking News-RTRS-INTERVIEW-Malaysia port sees delay in key palm oil storage tank

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia Feb 23 (Reuters) - A port in Malaysia's eastern Sabah state will see delays in building a 600,000 tonne palm oil storage tank till year-end while the country's top palm growing region suffers from supply bottlenecks, a government official said on Monday.

Breaking News-RTRS-UPDATE 2-Argentine farmers call anti-government strike

BUENOS AIRES, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Argentine farmers will halt sales of grains and livestock in a renewed protest against a tax on soy exports and other government agricultural policies, farm leaders said on Thursday.

Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Feb 20 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks tumbled on Friday, with the Dow industrials ending at a 6-1/2-year low, on fears the government may be forced to nationalize some big banks.

Uncertainty about how Washington will rescue beleaguered banks persisted even as the White House issued its most direct statement yet on banks, saying it supported a privately held banking system.

The S&P 500 had plunged close to a 12-year low before the White House statement.

Citigroup and Bank of America , which were buffeted by rumors that they were candidates for nationalization, finished down 22.3 percent and 3.6 percent,
respectively. They had been down more than 35 percent before the White
House comments.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 100.28 points, or 1.34 percent, to close at 7,365.67. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> ended down 8.89 points, or 1.14 percent, at 770.05. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dipped 1.59 points, or 0.11 percent, to 1,441.23.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Feb 20 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures fell on Friday, after shooting up 14 percent on Thursday, on persistent demand concerns amid a weak economy and as traders liquidated positions on the front-month March contract, which expired at the close.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, March crude expired and settled down 54 cents, or 1.37 percent, at $38.94 a barrel, trading from $36.91 to $39.50.
April crude ended down 15 cents, or 0.37 percent, at $40.03, trading from $37.54 to $40.13.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - March down 22 at $8.62-1/2 per bushel.

Economic worries weigh, pushing soy to two-month low. Softening Brazilian basis on harvest pressure coupled with talk that China may have canceled 4 to 6 cargoes of U.S. soy, rolling them to Brazil, weigh on CBOT prices. Late short-covering and weakening dollar helped soy close above the day's lows.

Rains in Argentina also to weigh and market shrugging off news Argentine farmers planning to strike.

CBOT-SOYOIL - March down 0.20 cent per lb to 30.22 cents. Declining soy, crude and stock markets weighing on soyoil.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm futures fell to a 2-week low on Friday, extending a five-day losing streak, on fears over weak demand and supportive weather condition in rival soy producing country Argentina, traders said.

The benchmark May contract fell 25 ringgit, or 1.34 percent, to 1,835 ringgit ($499) per tonne, the lowest finish since Feb. 4, having gone up as high as 1,889 ringgit early.

Other traded contracts were mixed. Overall volume was at 12,374 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Feb 20 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stocks fell on
Friday in markets dogged by global economic fears, with Singapore hitting a three-month low and Indonesia a two-month low, led by financials such as Singapore's UOB and Indonesia's Bank Rakyat.

Malaysian and Thai stocks hovered at two-week lows, with Malaysia <.KLSE> off 1.1 percent, pulled down by a 5.4 percent drop in lender Malayan Banking and Thailand <.SETI> down 1.6 percent, with Bangkok Bank 2 percent lower.
Elsewhere, the Philippines <.PSI> lost 0.9 percent and Vietnam <.VNI> fell 0.9 percent to its lowest since August 2005.

DJI Weekly: More downside room

More downside room to comes as market violated the recent low at 7449. We are now looking for downside support at 7197 (low since 13/10/2002) followed by 6971 (2/11/1997). For upside, resistance is at 7900-8000.

KLSE Weekly: Limited upside

Upside looks limited following a black candle printed for the week. We are now looking for the upside resistance at 910-920. Downside support is pegged at 867-878

FKLI Weekly: Weakening

Market dampened with a long black candle closing for the week. Market looks tiredness after few weeks effort tried hard to sustain above 900 mark. As for now, we look at the resistance at 925-928. While, downside support is at 860-865.

FCPO Weekly: Market facing tough resistance at 2058

Market tested 2000 mark but failed to sustain. Market looks may enter to its consolidation phase in near term with upside resistance at 2058. For downside, support is remained at 1740-1720.