Thursday, November 24, 2011

Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Frustration over the euro-zone debt crisis and weak Chinese factory data sent U.S. stocks down for a sixth straight day on Wednesday.

The U.S. stock market will be closed on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Based on the latest available data, the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 236.09 points, or 2.05 percent, to end unofficially at 11,257.63. The S&P 500 <.SPX> dropped 26.24 points, or 2.21 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,161.80. The Nasdaq Composite <.IXIC> dropped 61.20 points, or 2.43 percent, to close unofficially at 2,460.08.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Nov 23 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures fell on Wednesday as weak economic data from Europe, China and the United States pressured oil prices and offset an unexpected, sharp drop in U.S. crude oil stockpiles last week.

U.S. consumer spending growth slowed in October and business capital investment plans were weak, but other data showed the largest rise in household income in seven months and initial jobless claims, while up slightly, remaining below 400,000 last week.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, January crude fell $1.84, or 1.88 percent, to settle at $96.17 a barrel after dipping to $95.35, 10 cents under the front-month 200-day moving average, and having reached $97.87.

CBOT-SOYBEANS, Soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade sank 2.6 percent and fell to a 13-month low, joining a broad sell-off in commodities as worries about the global economy prompted traders to reduce risk.

In a late bout of technical selling the spot January soybean contract dipped to $11.21 a bushel, the lowest spot soybean price on continuous charts since Oct. 8, 2010.

China canceled orders for up to 300,000 tonnes of refined palm oil over the past month as some traders had over-booked cargoes and domestic prices remain lower than that of imports, Asian traders said.

FCPO-SINGAPORE, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures dropped to their lowest in almost two weeks on Wednesday as weak manufacturing survey data from China and a downward revision of U.S. GDP figure stoked worries about a slowing global growth.

News that China has scrapped orders for some 300,000 tonnes of refined palm oil on the back of over-booked cargoes and lower domestic prices did little to lift the futures market, which closed lower for the third straight day.

Benchmark February palm oil futures on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange settled down 0.4 percent to 3,161 ringgit ($995) per tonne. Prices fell as low as 3,128 ringgit, a level last seen on Nov 11.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets fell on Wednesday, weighed down by losses in banks and commodities-related stocks as weak manufacturing data from China added to worries about the global economy caused by European and U.S. budget problems.

Short-term traders again dominated the markets but volume remained thin. Market turnover in Indonesia was half the 30-day average and volume in most others was below average.

In Singapore, lenders such as DBS Group Holdings Ltd were among the hardest hit, down 1.7 percent, after news of a planned stress test on banks by the U.S. Federal Reserve added to worries about the global financial system.

Among actively traded stocks, Malaysian palm plantation stock IOI Corporation Bhd fell 1.2 percent and Indonesia's PT Energi Mega Persada Tbk dropped 4.5 percent as worries about a slowdown in global growth pulled down palm oil futures.