DJI-NEW YORK, April 30 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks tumbled on Friday to close out the worst week since January as news of a criminal probe into Goldman Sachs unnerved investors already anxious about the prospects for heavy regulation from Washington.
U.S. prosecutors in New York began an investigation into the investment bank, a source told Reuters, raising the possibility of criminal charges two weeks after the Securities and Exchange Commission accused the bank of fraud.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 158.71 points, or 1.42 percent, to 11,008.61. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> lost 20.09 points, or 1.66 percent, to 1,186.69. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dropped 50.73 points, or 2.02 percent, to 2,461.19.
NYMEX-NEW YORK, April 30 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures were up nearly 1 percent on Friday, helped by upbeat first quarter U.S. economic growth data amd as the dollar fell against the euro in light of rising hopes for aid soon coming to Greece.
The U.S. economy grew at a slightly slower-than-expected pace in the first quarter, held back by inventories and exports, but resurgent consumer spending offered evidence of a sustainable recovery, a Commerce Department report showed.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange at 11:15 a.m. EDT (1515 GMT), June crude
was up 76 cents, or 0.89 percent, at $85.93 a barrel, trading from $85.16 to $86.17.
CBOT-CHICAGO, April 30 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grains and soy complex close on Friday.
CBOT-SOYBEANS - July up 3 cents at $9.99 per bushel; new-crop November up 5-1/4 cents at $9.75-3/4. Support from no deliveries on the May contract as well as the weak dollar, higher crude oil and higher gold.
CBOT-SOYOIL - July down 0.22 cent at 38.93 cents per lb.
FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures climbed 1.1 percent on Friday after three straight sessions of losses, although exports falling to its lowest in four months curbed gains.
Malaysian palm oil exports for April fell 13 percent to a 1,178,159 tonnes -- the lowest since December, data from cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services showed on Friday.
The benchmark July crude palm oil contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives settled up 27 ringgit to 2,558 ringgit ($803.1) a tonne. Volumes dropped to 8,315 lots of 25 tonnes each from the usual 10,000 lots.
REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, April 30 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets gained on Friday, helped by good results and accelerating economic growth in the region, with energy shares pushing Thai stocks higher despite the political crisis.
Signs the U.S. economy is picking up steam helped ease some worries about the global economy, even with the worries over sovereign debt in Greece and elsewhere in Europe.
Singapore <.FTSTI> was up 0.5 percent and Malaysia <.KLSE> rose 0.8 percent amid expectations of strong trade data next week, when pricing of nursing school Masterskill Education's $240 million IPO on Wednesday will provide a gauge of market appetite.
In Singapore, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp gained 1.3 percent and United Overseas Bank was up 0.8 percent ahead of their earnings next week.
In Kuala Lumpur, Axiata rose 3.2 percent after it swung to a profit in the first quarter while technology stock Notion Vtec was up 0.9 percent after it posted strong quarterly earnings.
