Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Nov 18 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks broke three days of gains on Wednesday following worrisome outlooks from two major software makers and a surprising drop in home construction last month.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 11.11 points, or 0.11 percent, to 10,426.31. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> dipped just 0.52 of a point, or 0.05 percent, to finish at 1,109.80. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost
10.64 points, or 0.48 percent, to end at 2,193.14.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Nov 18 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures ended higher on Wednesday as the government reported crude inventories fell last week, but gains were pared on recovery doubts as Wall Street slid on bleak homebuilding data.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, December crude settled up 44 cents, or 0.56 percent, at $79.58 a barrel, trading from $78.67 to $80.33. The NYMEX December crude contract expires on Friday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - January down 2-1/2 cents at $10.27 a bushel. Profit-taking and producer hedge selling from the U.S. and South America weigh after soy had rallied to 2-1/2 month high.

CBOT-SOYOIL - December down 0.06 cent at 39.75 cents per lb. Profit-taking turns market weak by close.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures rose 2.5 percent on Wednesday to end at a 13-½ week closing high, underpinned by hopes for a recovery in demand and strong crude oil prices, traders said.

The benchmark February contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange settled up 58 ringgit, or 2.5 percent, to 2,400 ringgit ($713.43) per tonne, after going as high as 2,415 ringgit. The close was also the highest since Aug. 14. Overall volume shot up to 18,323 lots of 25 tonnes each compared to the usual 10,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Stock markets in Singapore and
Malaysia fell on Wednesday, with developer Ying Li tumbling following a share issuance plan and palm oil shares such as Sime Darby and IOI Corp leading the decliners in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia <.KLSE> edged down 0.4 percent, erasing some of its 0.7 percent advance in the past two days, while Thailand <.SETI> inched up 0.1 percent after ending flat on Tuesday.

FCPO Daily: Strengthen further

Overall daily technical reading strengthen further following market covered some of the upside gap. Thus, market may continue to challenge left over upside gap since 17/8/2009 at 2415-2424 followed by the next resistance at 2521 (high since 13/8/2009) in near term. While to the downside support remains at 2305-2273 (gap left over on 16/11/2009).