Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, March 16 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose to a fresh
17-month high on Tuesday after the Federal Reserve held benchmark rates near zero and maintained its pledge to keep them low for an extended period.

The central bank also pointed to increased momentum in the economy's recovery, and that, coupled with strength in Intel, helped the S&P 500 hit a fresh 17-month high.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 43.83 points, or 0.41 percent, to end at 10,685.98. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 8.95 points, or 0.78 percent, to finish at 1,159.46. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 15.80 points, or 0.67 percent, to close at 2,378.01.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, March 16 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures pushed
higher post-settlement Tuesday after an industry oil inventory report showed crude stockpiles rose less than expected while gasoline stocks fell much more than forecast.

U.S. crude oil futures had already settled higher as the dollar weakened and the U.S. Federal Reserve kept its benchmark Federal Funds rate steady and reaffirmed its intent to keep rates low for an extended period.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, April crude ended Globex electronic trade up $2.27 at $82.07 a barrel afer settling at $81.70, up $1.90, or 2.38 percent, trading from $79.32 to an $82.10 peak reached post-settlement.

CBOT-CHICAGO, March 16 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grains and soy complex close on Tuesday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - May up 15 cents per bushel at $9.45. Talk of delays in shipping soy from Brazilian ports, a weak dollar and firm crude oil combined to lift soybean futures. Also, there are rumors of a potential strike of Argentine truckers and port workers.

CBOT-SOYOIL - May up 0.62 cent per lb at 39.37 cents per lb. Support from gains in soybeans and crude oil.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures ended off one-month lows on Tuesday on technical buying and production concerns in the world's No.2producer of the vegetable oil.

Benchmark June crude palm oil futures on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange settled down 6 ringgit at 2,569 ringgit ($774.2) a tonne after going as low as 2,500 ringgit, a level not seen since Feb. 12. Overall traded volume doubled to 20,673 lots of 25 tonnes each.