Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, May 4 (Reuters) - Investors dumped U.S. stocks on Tuesday in Wall Street's worst session in three months on the fear that even with a bailout for Greece, Europe's debt crisis could spread to other weak euro zone countries.

The sell-off echoed a wave of fear that gripped financial markets as investors fretted the crisis in Europe could derail the global economic recovery. A gauge of investor fear jumped more than 18 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> lost 225.06 points, or 2.02 percent, to 10,926.77. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 28.66 points, or 2.38 percent, to 1,173.60. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dropped 74.49 points, or 2.98 percent, to 2,424.25.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures fell sharply Tuesday on the euro's tumble against the dollar amid concerns about Greece's fiscal problems spreading and expectations that inventory reports will show rising U.S. stockpiles.

Market sources also pointed to easing concerns about the leaking oil in the Gulf of Mexico disrupting production and tanker traffic in the region.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 10:51 a.m. EDT (1451 GMT), June crude was down $2.77, or 3.21 percent, at $83.42 a barrel, trading from $83.20 to $86.24.

CBOT-CHICAGO, May 4 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grains and soy complex close on Tuesday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - July up 1/2 cent per bushel at $9.87 per bushel. New-crop November down 3-1/2 at $9.63. Short-covering and strong gains in soymeal lift nearly soy as did some spillover support from a strong rally in wheat while bull-spreading weighed on deferred months. November contract also weighed down by active seeding of the U.S. soybean crop.

CBOT-SOYOIL - July down 0.33 cent per lb at 38.68. Weighed down by lower crude oil, weak soy and meal/oil spreading.

CBOT-JAKARTA, May 4 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures closed 1.53 percent lower on Tuesday, dropping for a second straight session on lower crude oil prices and a bumper soy crop in South America, traders said.

The benchmark July crude palm oil futures on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange fell 39 ringgit, or 1.53 percent, to settle at 2,515 ringgit ($807.56) per tonne. Overall trade volume was 9,276 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, May 4 (Reuters) - Thai stocks jumped more than 4 percent on Tuesday after the government proposed early elections as part of a plan to end a two-month-old political crisis, with tourism-related shares in demand.

Anti-government protesters were considering their response to the plan for November elections and other proposals aimed at healing social divisions.

The other main Southeast Asian markets weakened, with Singapore <.FTSTI> falling 1.5 percent, as investors booked profits in banking stocks even though they were expected to report positive quarterly results this week, a Singapore-based trader said.

DBS Group fell 1.6 percent, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp lost 1. percent and United Overseas Bank was off 2.1 percent.

Malaysia <.KLSE> was down 0.3 percent, with casino operator Genting off nearly 3 percent amid concern its Malaysian operations may come under pressure following the opening of a new casino in Singapore last month.

Malaysia <.KLSE> was down 0.3 percent, with casino operator Genting off nearly 3 percent amid concern its Malaysian operations may come under pressure following the opening of a new casino in Singapore last month.