Trader's Highlights

DJI - NEW YORK, Dec 15 - Higher-than-expected November U.S. inflation fueled demand for the dollar on Tuesday. but weighed on stocks and bonds as investors feared the Federal Reserve may need to raise rates faster than anticipated.

Oil futures prices rose almost 2 percent to settle above $70 a barrel following nine sessions of losses, offering some support to energy stocks. But Wall Street extended losses in late afternoon after bellwether General Electric Co issued a flat outlook for 2010.

Fears that the Fed could end its two-day meeting on Wednesday with a more hawkish view on interest rates surfaced after data showed the U.S. Producer Price Index jumped a surprising 1.8 percent last month, much more than the 0.8 percent forecast by economists.

The Dow Jones industrial average slid 49.05 points, or 0.47 percent, to close at 10,452.00, while the Standard & Poor's 500 Index declined 6.18 points, or 0.55 percent, to finish at 1,107.93. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 11.05 points, or 0.50 percent, to end at 2,201.05.


NYMEX - NEW YORK, Dec 15 - U.S. crude oil futures added to gains after settlement on Tuesday, even though industry data showing a rise in crude oil stockpiles when the market had expected a decline.

Crude futures settled higher on Tuesday, ending a string of nine straight losing sessions as the market awaited weekly oil inventory reports expected to show crude stockpiles fell last week.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, January crude rose $1.18, or 1.7 percent, to settle at $70.69 a barrel, trading from $69.31 to $71.15. It ended Globex electronic
trading after the API report up $1.31 at $70.82 a barrel.

CBOT - SOYBEANS - January unchanged at $10.55 a bushel.
Market gave up gains late following rally to two-week high as traders locked in profits. Good crop weather in South America weighed on prices in thin trade.

CBOT - SOYOIL - January up 0.01 cent at 39.64 cents per lb.
Firm crude oil supports prices but market closes off highs as soybeans give up gains.

FCPO - JAKARTA, Dec 15 - Malaysian crude palm oil futures edged up 0.5 percent on Tuesday on speculative buying but volume was thin as most investors were reluctant to take positions given a lack of fresh leads ahead of year-end holidays, traders said.

The benchmark February contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange settled up 12 ringgit at 2,525 ringgit ($740.04). Overall volume was 8,251 lots of 25 tonnes each, less than the usual 10,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES - BANGKOK, Dec 15 - Southeast Asian stocks ended mostly flat on Tuesday in thin trading with Malaysia edging to a one-week high on gains in financials such as Maybank, while foreign-led selling buffetted Thailand.

Caution ruled ahead of a policy-setting meeting of the U.S. Federal Reserve beginning later on Tuesday that could provide guidance on the timing of an expected rate hike and the outlook for the dollar.

Malaysia's index rose 0.4 percent to 1,270.81, its highest since Dec. 7, with Malayan Banking up 1.9 percent, financial CIMB Group 0.8 percent higher and shipper MISC climbing 1.3 percent.

Thailand ended flat after hitting its highest since Nov. 11 earlier in the day.
Elsewhere, Singapore pared early gains to end nearly flat, with top developer CapitaLand falling 1.4 percent and top lender DBS Group Holdings shedding 0.14 percent.