Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, April 25 (Reuters) - In the lightest volume session of the year, U.S. stocks fell on Monday after a lowered outlook from Kimberly-Clark increased concerns about higher commodity costs squeezing profits in coming quarters.

About 5.4 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the American Stock Exchange and Nasdaq, below the daily average of 7.74 billion.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 26.11 points, or 0.21 percent, to end at 12,479.88. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> shed 2.13 points, or 0.16 percent, to 1,335.25. But the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 5.72 points, or 0.20 percent, to close at 2,825.88.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, April 25 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures steadied in late trading on Monday, having tracked silver, which rose to near a 1980 record high before dipping, with early upside push coming from unrest in the Middle East and Nigeria.

Inflation worries also emerged, with the dollar down earlier against a basket of currencies. <.DXY> Trading volume was light at 315,472 lots, 49 percent below the 30-day average, which would be the lowest since Dec. 29.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, June crude settled at $112.28 a barrel, a cent below its close on Thursday. In the morning, it hit $113.48, highest for front month crude since Sept. 22, 2008's intraday high of $130.00.

CBOT-CBOT soybean futures ended higher after trading on either
side of unchanged in thin action, traders said.

Prices, which hit a two-week high of $13.91-1/4 during the session, were boosted by higher U.S. corn and wheat prices, but follow-through buying was limited during much of the session. Market participants also eyed the dollar, which was slightly higher and in a narrow range.

FCPO-JAKARTA, April 25 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures rose to a near two-week high before reversing gains to end down on Monday, as lower than expected export data offset rising crude prices.

Benchmark July crude palm oil contract on Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange closed at 3,360 ringgit($1,118) a tonne. Earlier, prices touched a high at 3,384 ringgit, a peak not seen since April 12. Trading volumes were light, with 8,027lots of 25 tonnes each, compared to a total at 13,829 lots on Friday.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, April 25 (Reuters) - Major Southeast Asian stock markets were flat to lower on Monday, led by regional big-caps in cautious trading ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's meeting this week.

Investors appeared wary of increasing exposures in risky assets. Turnover in Malaysia dropped to one-third of the 30-day average, with volume of Thailand and Indonesia each around 0.8 times the average.

Southeast Asia reported further foreign inflows on Monday, continuing from late last week. Indonesia took in $25.2 million inflows, according to Thomson Reuters data. Malaysia added $12.3 million and Thailand gained $25.7 million, exchange data showed.

Among losers, Singapore shopping mall owner CapitaMalls Asia fell 2.7 percent after it reported worse-than-expected quarterly earnings.