Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, June 28 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended slightly lower on Monday as gains in consumer-related stocks, including tobacco shares, were offset by losses in the energy sector.

Shares of Coca Cola Co and Procter & Gamble Co were two of the Dow Jones Industrial Average's best performers. Coca-Cola rose 1.6 percent to $51.08 and P&G gained 1.4 percent to $60.62.

Consumer shares rose after the government said personal spending rose moderately in May, exceeding expectations, after being flat in April.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 5.29 points, or 0.05 percent, to 10,138.52. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> slipped 2.19 points, or 0.20 percent, to 1,074.57. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> shed 2.83 points, or 0.13 percent, to 2,220.65

NYMEX-NEW YORK, June 28 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended lower on Monday as the north-northwest projected path of Tropical Storm Alex in the next few days precluded any serious threat to oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico, analysts said.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, August crude settled down 61 cents, or 0.77 percent, at $78.25 a barrel, trading from $77.72 to $79.38.

CBOT-CHICAGO, June 28 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grain and soy complex close on Monday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - July down 2 at $9.55 per bushel, new-crop November up 6-1/2 at $9.18-1/2. Tight nearby soy movement and firm cash lift market but improved U.S. crop weather and spillover pressure from falling wheat and corn cap gains.

CBOT-SOYOIL - July down 0.22 cent per lb at 36.94. Unwinding of meal/oil spreads weighs on soymeal and lifts soyoil but gains limited by weak crude oil.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures rebounded to a one-week high on Monday, tracking gains in crude oil as tropical storm Alex pressured exports and production in the Gulf of Mexico.

Concerns over slower exports and evacuation of oil platforms due to the tropical storm had lifted crude oil to its eight-week highest level in Asian hours, but it later slipped below $79.

Tropical depression Alex picked up speed over the Gulf of Mexico and regained tropical storm strength on Sunday as two key Mexican oil ports remained closed.

The benchmark September crude palm oil contract gained 0.7 percent or 16 ringgit at 2,400 ringgit ($738.7) after touching an intraday high of 2,410 ringgit earlier, a level unseen since June 21. Volume was light at 8,026 lots of 25 tonnes each, versus the usual 10,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, June 28 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets gained on Monday as investors bought shares in companies dependent on the domestic economy such as banks and property stocks, while commodity shares tracked gains in oil prices.

Singapore's index <.FTSTI> brought a four-day fall to an end and rose 0.64 percent. Shares in Thailand <.SETI>, Indonesia <.JKSE> and the Philippines <.PSI> rose for a second day, adding 1.4 percent, 0.3 percent and 0.34 percent respectively.

In Singapore, property shares climbed higher, with top developer CapitaLand rising 0.5 percent while Keppel Land and City Development rose more than 1 percent.

In Kuala Lumpur, shares drifted lower, weighed down by a 0.3 percent fall in mobile phone network operator Axiata Group and a 0.5 percent loss in gaming group Genting .