Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Global stocks rose despite Wall Street's mixed finish and the dollar's slide on Thursday as investors pulled back before expected upheaval from next week's U.S. elections and the likelihood of more monetary easing.

Oil prices ended higher, supported by an unexpected drop in new U.S. jobless claims to a three-month low and a dollar that weakened over rising worries about the extent of a second round of stimulus by the U.S. Federal Reserve next week.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> slipped 12.33 points, or 0.11 percent, to end at 11,113.95. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> edged up 1.33 points, or 0.11 percent, to 1,183.78. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> rose 4.11 points, or 0.16 percent, to close at 2,507.37.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Oct 28 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures prices edged up in choppy trading on Thursday, receiving lift from the weak dollar and a report showing U.S. jobless benefits claims fell last week.

Those factors offset a dip by shares on Wall Street as markets remained cautious about the extent of expected Federal Reserve monetary easing that may emerge from the central bank's next policy meeting in early November.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, December crude rose 24 cents, or 0.29 percent, to settle at $82.18 a barrel, trading from $81.50 to $82.64.

CBOT-CHICAGO, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grain and soybean complex close on Thursday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - November up 1-1/4 cents at $12.25 per bushel; January unchanged at $12.36. Soaring wheat lends support along with brisk U.S. export sales, especially to China. Weak dollar, gains in gold also lend support. Gains trimmed on late profit-taking and unwinding of soy/wheat spreads.

CBOT-SOYOIL - December up 0.10 cent at 49.70 cents per lb. Support from higher soybeans and dollar weakness, but crude oil turns lower and profit-taking trimmed gains by the close of trading. Hefty U.S. Census soyoil stocks figure limits rally.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures hit more than a two-year high on Thursday on a firmer soy complex driven by lingering weather concerns and the weaker U.S. dollar.

The palm oil market, which broke a two-day losing streak, was also supported by the start of the annual monsoon season this month that brings more rainfall and can hamper harvesting in major oil palm growing areas in Indonesia and Malaysia.

The benchmark Jan 2011 crude palm oil contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives ended 1.6 percent higher at 3,064 ringgit ($986.5), after rising as much as 3,086 ringgit ($993.5) -- its strongest level since July 28. 2008. Traded volume more than doubled to 20,472 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets eked out slim gains on Thursday as investors selectively built up positions for the reporting season, and demand for resource shares picked up because of stronger commodity prices.

But share markets were below the highs set early this month and risk appetite was fairly low ahead of a U.S. Federal Reserve meeting next week that is expected to provide clues on the scale of asset purchases in the next round of quantitative easing (QE).

On the day, Singapore <.FTSTI> inched up 0.2 percent, reversing a fall to a three-week low on Wednesday, Malaysia <.KLSE> ended a tad higher, recouping an early loss, and Indonesia <.JKSE> gained 0.4 percent.

Among regional gainers, Singapore's Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd rose 0.7 percent and Malaysia's CIMB Group Holdings Berhad gained 0.5 percent.

Singapore and Malaysian banks are set to post strong earnings -- following Thai banks -- as bad debt slumps, housing loans rise and fees from underwriting stock offerings as well as wealth management services climb.