Risk aversion eased late in the day on Wall Street as fears about the impact of the Goldman case ebbed and investors turned their attention to pending results from companies reporting first-quarter earnings.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> closed up 63.56 points, or 0.58 percent, at 11,082.22. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 4.16 points, or 0.35 percent, at 1,196.29. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> slipped 4.22 points, or 0.17 percent, at 2,477.04.
NYMEX-NEW YORK, April 19 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended lower on Monday as investors sought safer havens and bullish sentiment continued to turn sour in the aftermath of fraud charges brought against Goldman Sachs on Friday.
Expiration of the May contract on Tuesday also pressured traders to sell off positions on the front month. Prices were down for the third session in a row.
The dollar grew stronger and Europe's shut air space curbed jet fuel demand. That pressured heating oil futures, which are used as the benchmark against which jet fuel is traded.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, May
CBOT-CHICAGO, April 19 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grains and soy complex close on Monday.
CBOT-SOYBEANS - May
CBOT-SOYOIL - May
FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures tumbled to an 11-week low as fraud charges against Goldman Sachs prompted investors to book profits in most commodity and equity markets.
The ringgit
The benchmark July crude palm oil contract
Trade volumes were heavy in the afternoon session, rising to 17,234 lots of 25 tonnes each from the usual 10,000 lots.
REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, April 19 (Reuters) - Thai stocks ended down 1.3 percent on Monday but recouped some losses after a plan by two former prime ministers to seek an audience with King Bhumibol Adulyadej to try to end the country's growing political crisis.
All regional markets came under selling pressure after U.S. regulators filed fraud charges against Goldman Sachs, which hurt banking stocks. Singapore <.FTSTI>, Indonesia <.JKSE> and the Philippines <.PSI> all fell more than 1 percent.
In Singapore, DBS Group Holding
In Kuala Lumpur, Malayan Banking