Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, July 8 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Friday as a weak jobs report dashed optimism that the economy was emerging from a soft patch, leaving investors to hope earnings season would revive an appetite for buying.

The sell-off was broad and halted an eight-day streak for the Nasdaq, though stocks ended off their lows. U.S. employers added only 18,000 workers in June, short of even the lowest forecast, jolting buyers who had rushed into the market after some encouraging labor-market figures earlier in the week.

Despite the day's drop, the three major U.S. stock indexes ended higher for the week. The market is coming off a string of gains that reflected increased hope for an economic rebound and a strong earnings season.

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI slipped 62.29 points, or 0.49 percent, to 12,657.20 at the close. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX shed 9.42 points, or 0.70 percent, to 1,343.80. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC dropped 12.85 points, or 0.45 percent, to 2,859.81.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, July 8 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures ended 2.5 percent lower on Friday, their biggest one-day percentage loss in two weeks, as a disappointing jobs report for June stoked more worries about oil demand.

Oil futures fell along with copper and other commodities such as coffee and cocoa, as did U.S. equities, reeling from the jobs report and as the dollar rose.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude for August delivery CLc1 settled at $96.20a barrel, down $2.47, or 2.5 percent, after trading between $95.60 and $99.18.

CBOT-SOYBEANS-Soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade closed higher, following strength in the corn market amid concerns about hotter and drier weather in the U.S. Midwest, traders said.

Front-month CBOT soybeans Sc1 ended the week up 2.2 percent. Trade remained light, extending a week-long trend. Volume in soybean futures was down more than one-third from the prior 30-day average.


FCPO-JAKARTA, July 8 (Reuters) - Palm oil futures touched the highest level since the end of June on Friday, boosted by technical buying and higher prices for comparative oils ahead of industry data from No. 2 producer Malaysia next week.

The benchmark September crude palm oil contract KPOc3 on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives settled up 0.7 percent at 3,077 ringgit ($1,023) a tonne. Earlier, prices touched a high at 3,110 ringgit.


REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, July 8 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets gained on Friday as optimism about U.S. jobs data later in the day increased investor appetite, with inflows sending Indonesian stocks to record highs and Thai stocks faring best on the week in a post-election rally.

Volume picked up in some markets as investors anticipated the U.S. data would show signs the world's biggest economy was recovering from a soft patch. Turnover in Singapore surged to 1.6 times the 30-day average as shares rose for a second day.

Major markets posted limited gains on the week, partly due to a technical-led pullback following surges, including record highs by Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia.

A Kuala Lumpur-based dealer said sentiment in Malaysia was positive as investors took the decision by Malaysia's central bank to hold interest rates as making equities more attractive.