Monday, November 30, 2009

Trader's Highlights

DJI - NEW YORK, Nov 27 - U.S. stocks fell more than 1 percent in a truncated session on Friday as a possible debt default by a Dubai state-owned conglomerate led to fresh concerns about the global financial system.

The sell-off was broad, with selling concentrated mainly in the financial and commodity-linked sectors as investors trimmed positions in areas of the market most sensitive to economic uncertainty.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 154.48 points, or 1.48 percent, to end at 10,309.92. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 19.14 points, or 1.72 percent, to 1,091.49. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 37.61 points, or 1.73 percent, to 2,138.44.

NYMEX - NEW YORK, Nov 27 - U.S. crude oil futures ended lower on Friday amid concerns about a possible default at a Dubai state-owned conglomerate that lifted the dollar and also pressured equity markets. Dubai said on Wednesday two of its flagship firms planned to delay repayment on debt as a step toward restructuring the Dubai World conglomerate.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, January crude fell $1.91, or 2.45 percent, to settle at $76.05 a barrel. Friday's intraday low was $72.39, the weakest since dropping to $70.62 on Oct. 9. Friday's high trade was $77.94.

SOYBEANS
- January down 1-1/2 cents at $10.53 per bushel. Market came off day's lows as corn rallied. Initial pressure stemmed from strength in U.S. dollar, which makes U.S. products less competitive and prompts large investors to sell commodities as a hedge against inflation.

SOYOIL
- December down 0.47 cent at 40.10 cents per lb. Pressured by weaker crude oil and meal/oil spreading.

FCPO - KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 - Malaysian crude palm oil futures ended flat on Thursday, easing from a 15-week high hit earlier in the session on some profit-taking after crude oil weakened in late Asian trade.

Palm oil climbed to its highest since Aug. 13 after top Asian buyers such as China and India bought more palm oil since the vegetable oil's discount to rival soyoil has widened to $130-$150 a tonne versus $100 generally.

Prospects of heavy rain cutting into production also lifted the market, which has risen 6.7 percent since Nov. 16.

The benchmark February contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange rose as much as 39 ringgit to 2,521 ringgit ($746.5) before ending unchanged when profit taking settled in.

REGIONAL EQUITIES
- BANGKOK, Nov 27 - Southeast Asian stock markets fell on Friday as concern about a debt crisis in Dubai fuelled selling in banks and big caps such as Indonesia's Bank Mandiri, Thailand's Italian-Thai and the Philippines' Metropolitan Bank.

Indonesia's benchmark stock index dropped 2.8 percent to its lowest in more than two weeks, Thailand's index lost 0.8 percent to its lowest since Nov. 4 and the Philippines slid 1.5 percent to a one-week low.

Vietnam rose 1.7 percent, stemming its losses after an interest rate rise and currency devaluation. Stock markets in Singapore and Malaysia were closed for national holidays.