8-month closing highs.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 23.95 points, or 0.26 percent, to 9,093.24. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> advanced 2.97 points, or 0.30 percent, to 979.26. But the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> shed 7.64 points, or 0.39
percent, to 1,965.96.
NYMEX-NEW YORK, July 24 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended higher on Friday, settling above $68 a barrel after seesawing as optimism about economic recovery, supportive refined products futures and a weaker dollar lifted crude oil.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, September crude
CBOT-SOYBEANS - August
Trade expecting USDA to release a steady crop rating for soybeans late on Monday.
CBOT-SOYOIL - August
FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil rose 1.1 percent on Friday as investors took long positions ahead of better export data next week, signalling that festival demand is gaining momentum.
Open interest rose to 81,000 lots from 73,000 lots at the start of the week as traders re-entered the market on expectations that July 1-25 Malaysian palm oil exports could hit 1.2 million tonnes, up 22 percent from the same period a month ago.
The benchmark October contract
REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, July 24 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets ended the week on a high note, with Indonesia scaling a one-year high and Singapore climbing to its highest in 10 months thanks to buying of resource and banking shares.
Singapore's index <.FTSTI> rose nearly 2 percent on Friday to its highest since Sept. 22, led by Singapore Exchange
Malaysia's index <.KLSE> edged up 0.3 percent, building on a two-session gain of 1.53 percent, with lender Malayan Banking
Bucking the trend, IOI Corp