Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, March 3 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended little changed on Wednesday as worries about bank regulation and a setback for drug company Pfizer offset signs of improvement in the labor market and services sector.

Pfizer Inc , the world's largest drugmaker, fell 1.6 percent after its Alzheimer's drug did not meet the main goals of a late-stage clinical trial, weighing on the Dow industrials.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> slipped 9.22 points, or 0.09 percent, to 10,396.76. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 0.48 point, or 0.04 percent, to 1,118.79. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 0.11 point to 2,280.68.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, March 3 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures rose for the second day in a row on Wednesday, posting the highest close in seven weeks, as economic data eased recovery worries and the dollar fell against the euro.

Traders ignored government inventory data showing crude stocks rose more than expected last week.

The euro rose against the greenback after Greece announced a government austerity package to reduce its deficit, easing worries about the the country's debt crisis.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, April crude settled up $1.19, or 1.49 percent, at $80.87 a barrel, the highest close since Jan. 11's $82.52. It traded from $79.44 to $81.23, highest since the Jan. 12 intraday peak of $82.34.

CBOT-CHICAGO, March 3 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grains and soy complex close on Wednesday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - March up 1/4 cent at $9.54-1/2 a bushel, May unchanged at $9.63-1/2. Weak dollar and higher crude lend support but harvest of bumper South American crop limits gains. Gains were waning near the close and May ended below its 40 day moving average of $9.65-1/4.

CBOT-SOYOIL - March up 0.21 cent at 40.02 cents per lb, May up 0.20 at 40.40 cents. Gains in crude oil lifted soyoil futures.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, March 3 (Reuters) - Malaysia's crude palm oil futures climbed nearly 1 percent on Wednesday as some traders took positions ahead of a key industry conference and steady crude oil and soyoil markets.

Expectations for weak Malaysian output figures from last month as well as supportive commodity markets have made palm oil the best-performing vegetable oil market so far this year.

Benchmark May crude palm oil futures on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange rose 23 ringgit, or almost 0.9 percent, to 2,635 ringgit ($781.9), just shy of a one-week high of 2,638 ringgit hit on Monday.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, March 3 (Reuters) - Equities in Singapore and Thailand posted small gains on Wednesday, while other Southeast Asian bourses trod water, wary of developments in the Greek debt crisis.

Optimism generally increased as Greece looked set to announce measures to tackle its debt crisis [ID:nLDE6220NA]. Against that, U.S. stocks were expected to open weaker. U.S. stock index futures <.DJHO> were down 0.13 percent at 0945 GMT.

In Singapore, the Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> gained 0.4 percent, helped by broad-based buying in property shares, dragged down recently by government measures to cool the housing market.

In Kuala Lumpur, palm plantation firm Sime Darby fell 0.9 percent while IOI Corp was down 0.55 percent. A top industry official said on Wednesday Malaysia, the world's No. 2 palm oil producer, would miss its output target of 18.1 million tonnes because of a shortage of foreign labour, even as yields recover.