Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, March 23 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rallied on Tuesday, led by the tech, industrial and materials sectors, driving the Dow and the S&P 500 to 18-month highs.

Signs of improved demand in the semiconductor industry and a broker's positive commentary on Caterpillar lifted blue chips, while tech bellwethers Apple and Cisco hit 52-week highs, indicating increased optimism among investors. Kraft , a Dow component, also hit a 52-week high.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 102.94 points, or 0.95 percent, to 10,888.83. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 8.36 points, or 0.72 percent, to 1,174.17. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> shot up 19.84 points, or 0.83 percent, to 2,415.24.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, March 23 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures pared gains in post-settlement trading on Tuesday, after industry data showed that domestic crude stocks rose much more than expected last week.

Gasoline futures also trimmed gains as data from the American Petroleum Institute showed gasoline stocks dropped far less than expected.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, May crude was up 7 cents at $81.67 a barrel. It had settled up 31 cents, or 0.38 percent, at $81.91, trading from $80.85 to $82.20.

CBOT-CHICAGO, March 23 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grains and soy complex close on Tuesday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - May down 1/2 cent at $9.68 per bushel. New-crop November down 9-3/4 cents at $9.36. Sagged in late trade on profit-taking and a firming dollar but nearby months gained on new-crop on tight U.S. soy stocks and news of a port strike in Argentina that led to concerns about the ability of South America to load and ship soy.

CBOT-SOYOIL - May down 0.18 cent per lb at 39.54 cents per lb. Following soybeans with a firm dollar also weighing.

FCPO-JAKARTA, March 23 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures closed higher on Tuesday, tracking firm crude oil but an absence of fresh leads capped gains.

The benchmark June crude palm oil future on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange was up 21 ringgit or 0.82 percent, at 2,591 ringgit ($780.89) per tonne. Overall trade volume stood at 11,742 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-COLOMBO, March 23 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Tuesday, buoyed by strength on Wall Street and a surge of fund inflows, while Vietnam bucked the trend.

Singapore <.FTSTI> rose 0.6 percent, Malaysia <.KLSE> gained 0.9 percent to touch its highest since March 18, Thailand <.SETI> ended 1.3 percent firmer, and Indonesia <.JKSE> rose 0.7 percent.

In Singapore, top lender DBS Group gained 1.7 percent, while United Overseas Bank rose 1.14 percent as investors took encouragement from signs of a strengthening global economy.

Malaysia snapped three straight falls ahead of an "Invest Malaysia" conference next week, during which Prime Minister Najib Razak is scheduled to unveil a new economic model to boost growth and win back foreign investors.