Cautious minutes from the Fed's last meeting, as well as the ISM services report, which showed the sector hovering on the cusp of expansion, came after a number of data points helped lift stocks earlier this week to their highest closing levels in more than a year.
NYMEX-NEW YORK, Jan 6 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended above $83 a barrel on Wednesday, extending a rally to a 10th trading session, as the dollar weakened and despite government data showing a surprise increase in crude stockpiles last
week.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, February crude
CBOT-CHICAGO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grains and soy complex close on Wednesday.
CBOT-SOYBEANS - January
CBOT-SOYOIL - January
FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures rose as much as 1.6 percent on Wednesday to a fresh seven-month high on steady crude oil and soyoil markets.
Expectations of China stockpiling ahead of the Lunar New Year due in mid-February also helped to boost palm oil prices, which posted their best annual gains in a decade last year.
The benchmark March contract
REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Wednesday as growing confidence about the global economy lured investors to riskier assets, sending Singapore and Malaysia to their highest levels since mid-2008.
Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> rose 0.4 percent, coming off its highest level since July 31, 2008, with palm oil planter Golden Agri-Resources Ltd
In Kuala Lumpur, shares <.KLSE> rose for a second day, hitting their highest level since May 20, 2008, before closing up 0.4 percent. Financials led the way, with AMMB Holdings Bhd