Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, April 14 (Reuters) - Stocks that outperform in a weak economy helped the Dow and S&P 500 eke out gains on Thursday as concerns about faltering growth and inflation prompted investors to seek out less volatile names.

The Dow industrials' top percentage gainers were Coca-Cola Co , up 1.5 percent, Kraft Foods Inc , up 1.7 percent and Merck & Co , up 1.2 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 14.16 points, or 0.12 percent, to end at 12,285.15. The Standard & Poor's 500 <.SPX> gained 0.11 of a point, or 0.01 percent, to 1,314.52. The Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> dropped 1.30 points, or 0.05 percent, to 2,760.22.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, April 14 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures ended higher on Thursday on lift from a weaker dollar that helped crude reverse early losses prompted by concerns that high prices would erode demand.

The dollar gave up its early strength after a government report showing initial jobless claims rose last week.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, May crude rose $1, or 0.93 percent to settle at $108.11 a barrel, trading from $105.77 to $108.55.


CBOT-CHICAGO, April 14 (Reuters) - U.S. soybean futures ended slightly lower on Thursday. but above earlier session lows, withmeal closing higher on support from new-crop corn gains, traders said.

Wet weather in U.S. corn-producing regions is slowing plantings and threatening 2011 corn production, the traders said.

A rally in crude oil prices also underpinned soy, they said. Earlier on Thursday, soy was pressured by weaker-the-expected export sales, which prompted some holders of long positions to liquidate.

FCPO-JAKARTA, April 14 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil notched a third-straight day of declines on Thursday as comparative oil prices such as soybean and crude weighed and investors eyed export data due later this week.

The benchmark June crude palm oil contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives exchange ended at a two-week low at 3,282 Malaysian ringgit ($1,085) a tonne. Traded volume on the June contract was 18,949 lots of 25 tonnes each, versus Wednesday's total at 13,246 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-COLOMBO , April 14 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets fell in choppy trade on Thursday on fears that Beijing will tighten monetary policy further after reports that inflation in China accelerated more than expected in March.

March inflation accelerated to a 32-month high of 5.4 percent year-on-year, Hong Kong media said on Thursday, a day ahead of the official data release. Analaysts recently polled by Reuters had predicted it would quicken to 5.2 percent.

So far, most tightening measures have sparked an immediate but brief sell-off in regional or global equity markets, and they have recouped the losses fairly quickly.

Singapore <.FTSTI> lost 0.4 percent after its Monetary Authority tightened monetary policy slightly to fight against rising inflation, helping push the local currency to record highs, but declines were capped by strong first quarter economic growth.

Malaysia <.KLSE> closed 0.6 percent weaker at a two-weak closing low, but enjoyed a $25.2 million net foreign inflow, while Vietnam <.VNI> edged down 0.1 percent. Analysts also attributed some of the Singapore market's losses to a technical correction, noting the index had pushed into overbought territory in the previous session, but added that sentiment was still seen as bullish.