Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, May 19 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday as Germany's unilateral action to ban specific trades on some stocks and bonds sparked a fresh wave of uncertainty and risk aversion among anxious investors.

Markets already fear the euro zone's credit woes could cut into economic growth, and Germany's move late on Tuesday triggered selling of industrial shares, as they have a heavy exposure to Europe.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> slid 66.58 points, or 0.63 percent, to 10,444.37. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 5.75 points, or 0.51 percent, to 1,115.05. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 18.89 points, or 0.82 percent, to 2,298.37.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, May 19 (Reuters) - U.S. front-month June crude oil futures settled higher and rallied more than a dollar in post-settlement trading on Wednesday, lifted by the euro's rally and by technical trading ahead of the contract's Thursday expiration.

Other futures contracts settled lower as crude oil futures reacted to volatility in foreign exchange and equities markets as Europe struggled to address its fiscal woes. A government oil inventory report got overshadowed.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, June crude rose 46 cents, or 0.66 percent, to settle at $69.87 a barrel, trading as low as $67.90, lowest since $66.22 was struck on Sept. 30, then rallying rallying more than $2 to as high as $71.43 in post-settlement trading as of 5:00 p.m. EDT (2100 GMT).

CBOT-CHICAGO, May 19 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grain and soy close on Wednesday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - July down 1 cent at $9.38-1/2 per bushel; new-crop November down 7-3/4 at $9.05-3/4. Ended weak on good U.S. soy planting and growing weather but July gained versus November on a rumor South American soy cargoes being switched to the United States.

CBOT-SOYOIL - July up 0.31 cent at 37.50 cents per lb. Turned firm on spreading and as crude oil moved up from the day's lows and on fund buying.

FCPO-JAKARTA, May 19 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures closed lower on Wednesday, along with global equities and most commodities' markets sparked by concerns over tighter financial regulation in the U.S. and Europe, traders said.

A weaker Malaysian ringgit helped to limit the drop in the palm oil futures and brought relief to refiner margins. The currency fell nearly 1 percent to 3.2500 ringgit against the U.S. dollar, limiting

The benchmark August crude palm oil futures on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange fell 0.41 percent, or 10 ringgit, to close at 2,435 ringgit ($791.37) a tonne. The contract fell to as low as 2,410 ringgit. Overall volume reached 10,979 lots of 25 tonnes each, compared with the daily average of 10,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, May 19 (Reuters) - Thai stocks gained 0.7 percent on
Wednesday as a crackdown on anti-government demonstrators boosted hopes of an end to nine weeks of protests, prompting local investors to buy beaten big-cap energy shares and banks.

Thai stocks bucked the wider trend, although foreign investors were net sellers. Elsewhere in Southeast Asia, markets closed lower on worries about moves by authorities in the euro area and the United States towards tighter financial regulation.

Singapore's stock index <.FTSTI> closed at its lowest level since early March, while Malaysia's main index <.KLSE> finished at its weakest level since mid March.