Monday, May 24, 2010

Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, May 21 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks snapped a three-day losing streak on Friday as investors bought beaten-down shares including banks on bets the financial regulation bill won't be as onerous as some had feared.

Nonetheless, the benchmark S&P 500 index was down 10.6 percent from its April 23 high in what is traditionally considered a correction as investors fled risky assets on fears the euro zone's debt crisis will crimp global growth.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 125.38 points, or 1.25 percent, to 10,193.39. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> jumped 16.10 points, or 1.50 percent, to 1,087.69. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> rose 25.03 points, or 1.14 percent, to 2,229.04.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, May 21 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended lower on Friday, as persistent worries that Europe's debt crisis would slow the global economic recovery pressured investors to seek safer investment alternatives.

Front-month crude futures have fallen in eight of the last nine sessions and for three consecutive weeks, with investors also worried about a glut in domestic crude inventories.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, the new front-month contract, July , closed 76 cents lower, or 1.07 percent, at $70.04 a barrel, after trading from $69 to $71.23.

CBOT-CHICAGO, May 21 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grain and soy complex close on Friday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - July down 3 cents at $9.41 per bushel; new-crop November down 1/2 at $9.07-1/2. Some unwinding and profit-taking of the July/November spread weighed on spot July as did corn/soy spreading. Pressure also from lower crude oil and weaker Brazilian real led to increased farmer selling.

CBOT-SOYOIL - July down 0.43 cent at 36.96 cents per lb. Weighed down by lower trend in soy.

FCPO-JAKARTA, May 21 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures extended gains on a technical rebound on Friday, lifted by stronger demand in the cash market combined with tumbling ringgit currency, traders said.

However, market players will continue to be cautious next week because they fear that worries about the impact of the European crisis and the global economic recovery could lead to selling in the palm oil market.

The benchmark August crude palm oil futures on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange rose 0.61 percent, or 15 ringgit, to 2,491 ringgit ($827) a tonne. The contract hit 2,501 ringgit in the afternoon session, the highest in nine days.

Overall traded volume was 12,806 lots of 25 tonnes each, higher than the daily average of 10,000 lots. Other contracts also firmed between 0.45 percent to 1.52 percent.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-COLOMBO, May 21 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian markets fell on Friday as investors cut positions on fears that the euro zone debt crisis will hamper world growth, completing a wave of selling this week.

Singapore <.FTSTI> lost 1.9 percent to end the week at more than a 14-week low, Indonesia <.JKSE> fell 2.6 percent to a near 11-week low and Malaysia <.KLSE> slid 1.4 percent to its lowest since March 4.

Malaysia fell for a sixth straight session, taking losses this week to 4 percent. Friday's declines were led a 3 percent decline in CIMB Group and a 2.1 percent fall in lender Maybank .