Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Feb 19 (Reuters) - The dollar gained broadly and stocks edged higher worldwide on Friday after investors swept aside negative views of a surprise move by the U.S. Federal Reserve to hike an emergency lending rate and took it as a sign of a healing economy.

Stocks on Wall Street closed out their best week of the year after a zig-zag session as investors weighed the Federal Reserve decision late Thursday to raise its discount rate for banks by one-quarter percentage point to 0.75 percent.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Feb 19 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended
higher for the fourth day in a row on Friday, amid supply worries in the wake of a strike in French refineries and on geopolitical tensions over Iran's nuclear posture.

Oil futures rose with Wall Street as concerns eased about the Federal Reserve's discount rate increase late Thursday, which had pulled back prices overnight and in early trading.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, March crude settled up 75 cents, or 0.95 percent, at $79.81 a barrel, the highest close since Jan. 14's $79.39. It traded from $77.76 to $79.95, the highest since Jan. 14's intraday high of $80.36.

CBOT-CHICAGO, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grains and soy complex close on Friday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - March down 3 cents at $9.45 per bushel.
Pressure from rallying dollar, with ongoing weight from outlooks for record large South American soybean crop. Weekly exports disappoint.

CBOT-SOYOIL - March down 0.18 cent at 38.52 cents per lb. Pressure from unwinding of oil/meal spreads, but higher crude oil futures limit declines.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Malaysia palm oil edged lower on Friday as it was weighed by a firmer dollar and weaker commodity markets after the U.S. Federal Reserve's move to raise its emergency lending rate.

But a lack of palm oil supplies capped losses in the market, while traders were on the lookout for export data due over the weekend and next week for further direction.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Singapore shares touched a one-week low on Friday and most other Southeast Asian markets also eased after the U.S. Federal Reserve raised its discount rate, raising fears about broader policy tightening.

Singapore's index <.FTSTI> ended down 0.44 percent, earlier falling to its lowest since Feb. 10, Malaysia <.KLSE> edged down 0.11 percent, Indonesia <.JKSE> was off 0.22 percent and the Philippines <.PSI> dropped 0.7 percent.

In Kuala Lumpur, gaming group Genting fell 2.8 percent and Genting Malaysia , which houses the group's Malaysian casino and leisure business, lost 1.8 percent.