Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Dec 31 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks were little changed on Friday, the final day of the year, as investors were reluctant to make big bets after a rally that put the S&P on track for its best December performance in nearly two decades.

The benchmark index has gained 6.6 percent so far this month, closing Wednesday at its highest level since Sept. 8, 2008, and has risen in 17 of the last 21 sessions. The index is on course for its biggest December gain since 1991, when it rose 11.2 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 9.46 points, or 0.08 percent, at 11,579.17. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 0.28 points, or 0.02 percent, at 1,257.60. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 10.94 points, or 0.41 percent, at 2,652.04.

NYMEX-HOUSTON, Dec 31 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures prices settled higher on Friday and ended the year up 15.14 percent after jumping to a 26-month peak intraday on expectations an improving global economic recovery will fuel demand growth again in 2011.

The dollar's weakness on Friday also was supportive traders said, along with technical strength as crude prices found support just above $89 intraday before bouncing higher and briefly moving above $92 a barrel.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange on Friday, February crude rose $1.54, or 1.71 percent, to settle at $91.38 a barrel, trading from $89.05 to $92.06, highest front-month price since the $93.02 intraday peak hit on Oct. 7, 2008.

CBOT-CHICAGO, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Grain futures on the Chicago Board of Trade were higher on Friday, with the January soybean contract up sharply on concerns about dry weather conditions in Argentina.

U.S. dollar weakness supported prices across the board, as did expectations of commodity fund buying at year-end.

For the year, the dollar is up about 1.5 percent against a basket of major currencies <.DXY>, though it was half a percent lower on Friday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - January up 20-1/4 cents at $13.86-1/4 per bushel. South Korea issued a tender to buy 25,000 tonnes of nongenetic modified yellow soybeans for arrival by March 31 - Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp.

CBOT-SOYOIL - January up 0.10 cent at $56.48 cents per lb. Soyoil deliveries heavy at 8,610 lots; most estimates were for 3,000-5,000.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures rose on Thursday as traders took positions ahead of the long weekend, while they posted their lowest annual gains in two years.

Palm oil, which has climbed 42.2 percent this year, was underpinned by concerns of heavy rains curbing supply in Malaysia and Indonesia as well as dry weather sapping soybean yields in South America.

Traders said the earlier correction in palm oil during the day could set the stage for another rally if the weather issues persist.

The benchmark March 2011 crude palm oil contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives rose as much as 1.6 percent to 3,792 Malaysian ringgit ($1,227) per tonne, revisiting a 33-month high, before settling at 3,788 ringgit.

Overall traded volumes stood at14,510 lots of 25 tonnes each, compared to the usual 15,000 lots, ahead of Malaysian financial markets closing for a public holiday on Friday (Dec 31).

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian bourses ended higher on Thursday, the final session of 2010 in much of the region, with Indonesia poised to show the biggest gain in a year marked by foreign inflows and domestic economic resilience.

The Jakarta Composite Index <.JKSE> inched up 0.12 percent after an early climb to three-week highs. Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> gained 0.14 percent, with the Philippines <.PSI> and Vietnam <.VNI> also eking out small gains.

However, stock indexes in Malaysia <.KLSE> and Thailand <.SETI> erased early gains, finishing down 0.36 percent and 0.29 percent respectively.