Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Breaking News-RTRS - Malaysia Feb palm oil output to stay low-Oil World

HAMBURG, Feb 15 (Reuters) - February palm oil output in key producer Malaysia is likely to remain low following a sharp fall in January production, helping transfer global demand to soyoil, Hamburg-based oilseeds analysts Oil World said on Tuesday.

Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Market breadth weakened and a prominent investor retreated from bullish positions as a vulnerable U.S. stock market slipped off 2-1/2-year highs on Tuesday.

Energy and basic materials stocks led the slide in the S&P 500's worst day since Jan. 28, and billionaire investor Ken Fisher told Reuters he is "more neutral on stocks than I've been in years."

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> lost 41.55 points, or 0.34 percent, at 12,226.64. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 4.31 points, or 0.32 percent, at 1,328.01. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> slipped 12.83 points, or 0.46 percent, at 2,804.35.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Feb 15 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended lower for a third session on Tuesday, tracking equities, which fell as a smaller-than-expected rise in retail sales last month raised worries about the strength of the economic recovery.

The dollar rebounded from its early lows, keeping crude down. That overshadowed earlier news showing that inflation was lower than expected in China, and continuing worries about spreading unrest in the Middle East.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, March crude settled down 49 cents, or 0.58 percent, at $84.32 a barrel, the lowest close since Nov. 30, 2010, when front-month crude closed at $84.11. It traded from $83.85 to $85.97.

CBOT-CHICAGO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grain and soy complex close on Tuesday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - March down 34-3/4 cents at $13.68 per bushel. New-crop November down 32-3/4 at $13.32-3/4. A seasonal shift of export business to South America, news of a cancellation of an export sale of U.S. soy, fund long-liquidation and spillover pressure from the release by USDA on Monday of a larger U.S. soy acreage this year than expected combine to weigh on soybean futures.

CBOT-SOYOIL - March down 1.15 cent at 56.54 cents per lb. Spillover pressure from decline in soy.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures dropped as much as 1 percent on Monday, with trading range-bound as investors booked profits ahead of eagerly anticipated export data due later this week.

The benchmark April 2011 crude palm oil contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives fell 0.6 percent to 3,933 Malaysian ringgit ($1,288) a tonne. Overall, traded volume stood at 11,265 lots of 25 tonnes each, compared with a total of 11,568lots on Friday.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets pulled back on Tuesday as China's closely watched inflation data failed to allay concerns over price pressures in emerging markets, but loan growth optimism lifted banks.

Inflation concerns plagued regional sentiment and kept investors cautious over the outlook of corporate profits. Turnover of Thai stocks <.SETI> fell to 0.86 times their 30-day average, similar to Vietnam's <.VNI> 0.85 times.

Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> dropped 0.8 percent, in relatively active volume of 1.36 times its 30-day average. Philippines <.PSI> eased 0.2 percent.

Indonesia and Malaysia were shut for a market holiday and trading will resume on Wednesday. Asian stocks were broadly steady on Tuesday after traders took China's inflation data in stride.

Palm oil shares were among weak spots, with Malaysian palm oil futures dropping as much as 1 percent on Monday, with Singapore-listed Noble Group sliding 2.8 percent and Bangkok-listed Sri Trang Agro down 4.2 percent.