The S&P 500 remains hemmed in between technical support at 1,330 and resistance at 1,340, suggesting a lack of direction and keeping the market vulnerable to events such as the uncertain outcome of the euro zone's debt problems.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 93.28 points, or 0.74 percent, to end at 12,512.04. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 10.33 points, or 0.77 percent, at 1,333.27. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 19.99 points, or 0.71 percent, to close at 2,803.32.
NYMEX-NEW YORK, May 20 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures ended higher on Friday as a flurry of short-covering caused prices to rebound midday from early lows after news that al Qaeda had plotted last year to hijack or sink oil tankers to prompt.
The al Qaeda's aim was to cause a rise in prices and trigger an economic crisis in the West, U.S. officials said, citing intelligence gathered from Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude for June delivery expired and settled at $99.49 a barrel, gaining $1.05, or 1.07 percent, after trading from $95.99 to $99.8.
CBOT-SOYBEANS -Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures closed lower on profit-taking and prospects for increased U.S. soy acreage this year if farmers switch some of their unplanted corn area to soy.
Excessive wet weather and flooding continues to delay corn and soybean plantings in the eastern and southern portion of the U.S. Midwest. There are outlooks for this pattern to continue for the next week and major delays in plantings are seen for Indiana and Ohio with some corn acreage likely not to get planted.
FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures hit their highest in almost six weeks on Friday as upbeat export data and broad gains across commodity markets buoyed sentiment.
Cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services said Malaysia shipped 794,322 tonnes of palm oil products during May 1-20, up 29.7 percent from last month.
Another cargo surveyor Societe Generale de Surveillance showed export over the same period jumped 28.3 percent to 819,257 tonnes.
The benchmark August crude palm oil contract
Traded volumes stood at 22,227 lots at 25 tonnes each, a tad lower than the usual 25,000 lots that usually change hands.
REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, May 20 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets retreated on Friday and ended the week little changed as volatility in commodities dragged on sentiment in resource shares, although consumer-related sectors attracted buying interest.
Risk aversion remained high because of a string of global factors, including a run of soft U.S. economic data, debate about the U.S. government debt ceiling, problems in Europe regarding Greece and news that Japan was back in recession.
All that suggested stock market sentiment would remain weak in the near term. Thailand and Indonesia both reported a fall in market turnover compared with the 30-day average.
Stocks in Singapore <.FTSTI>, Malaysia <.KLSE>, Thailand <.SETI> and the Philippines <.PSI> ended only marginally lower on Friday but Vietnam <.VNI> sank 2.7 percent to a six-month low and lost almost 10 percent on the week, Asia's worst performance.
Singapore-listed palm oil share Noble Group
