Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, June 9 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday in another late-day roller-coaster ride, dragged lower by BP and other energy shares as the U.S. probe of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico deepened.

New York-traded shares of BP plc fell 15.8 percent to below $30 on growing worries about the costs the energy giant will have to assume because of the spill.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 40.73 points, or 0.41 percent, to 9,899.25. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 6.31 points, or 0.59 percent, to 1,055.69. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> lost 11.72 points, or 0.54 percent, to 2,158.85.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, June 9 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended up more than 3 percent on Wednesday as news of a surge in Chinese exports in May and data that U.S. crude inventories dropped more than expected last week improved risk appetite.

Crude's gains were part of an overall advance in an array of commodities. The Reuters-Jefferies CRB index comprising 19 commodities <.CRB> posted its biggest daily gain in two weeks as oil, metals and crop prices surged.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, July crude settled up $2.39, or 3.32 percent, at $74.38 a barrel, trading from $72.03 to $74.96, highest since Friday's $75.42 intraday peak. The contract settled up 55 cents at $71.99 on Tuesday.

CBOT-CHICAGO, June 9 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grains and soy complex closing trends on Wednesday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - July up 12-1/2 cents at $9.43-1/2 per bushel; new-crop November up 2-1/4 cents at $8.96-1/2. Rebounds from three-month low due to tight supplies around the U.S. Midwest and news of fresh sales to China. Spread between front month and deferred contract widens as expectations build for a large crop this year.

CBOT-SOYOIL - July up 0.08 cent at 36.75 cents per lb. Export interest from China boosts prices. Gains in crude oil market also supportive.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures ended offfive-month lows on Wednesday after leaked China trade data showing exports surged last month suggested Asia's economic growth was on the path to recovery.

But the palm oil market stayed in negative territory on lingering concerns that the euro zone debt crisis may lead to a double-dip recession in other parts of the world.

Palm oil traders expected inventories in Malaysia to make little headway in May despite strong exports as production rose and crude palm oil imports from Indonesia were steady -- a scenario still weighing on prices.

The benchmark August crude palm oil futures on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange ended down 14 ringgit at 2,418 ringgit ($727) after going as low as 2,402 ringgit -- a level unseen since Jan. 27. Traded volume more than doubled to 25,459 lots of 25 tonnes each from the usual 10,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, June 9 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets ended mostly firmer on Wednesday as news of stronger-than-expected exports from China offset worries that Europe's debt problems would stifle demand for Asian goods.

Thailand <.SETI> climbed 0.9 percent, ending two sessions of falls, with financials and energy stocks higher. Malaysia <.KLSE> and Indonesia <.JKSE> both posted small gains while Singapore <.FTSTI> and the Philippines <.PSI> drifted lower.

In Kuala Lumpur, AirAsia jumped 4.7 percent after a newspaper reported its long-haul budget carrier, AirAsia X, planned to launch an initial public offering in the second half of 2011 to tap public funds for growth. [ID:nSGE6570QA]

In Singapore, big caps pulled the market lower. Top lender DBS Group Holdings and the biggest developer CapitaLand both fell 0.6 percent.