DJI- NEW YORK, March 19 (Reuters) - Apple lifted U.S. stocks on Monday after it announced regular dividends and share buy-backs, while benchmark U.S. Treasury yields hit a near five-month high as investors sold safe-haven government bonds.
Concerns about Iran's nuclear program added $1 to U.S. crude oil prices, while the euro climbed to its highest in more than a week against the dollar.
U.S. stocks traded in a choppy session as investors reassessed a rally that has taken the S&P 500 to levels not seen since the 2008 financial crisis. But a jump of more than 2 percent in Apple's stock price fueled gains for at least one more session.
"Investors have been reluctant to put money to work for a while, but Apple is giving greater confidence for them to invest in stocks," said Rick Meckler, president of investment firm LibertyView Capital Management in New York.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> added 6.51 points, or 0.05 percent, to end at 13,239.13, while the Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 5.58 points, or 0.40 percent, to 1,409.75. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> rose 23.06 points, or 0.75 percent, to close at 3,078.32.
NYMEX- NEW YORK, March 19 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures rose for a second day in a row on Monday on persistent worries about supply disruption from Iran, higher equities and a weaker dollar.
Concern about supplies from Iran continued to roil the oil market due to EU and U.S. sanctions even though Tehran has agreed to a new round of talks with world powers on its disputed nuclear program.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude for April delivery, which expires on Tuesday, settled at $108.09 a barrel, up $1.03, or 0.96 percent.
CBOT SOYBEANS- Soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade reversed to close lower on profit-taking after export demand and concerns about a crop shortfall on South America lifted the market to a six-month high, traders said.
Traders said CBOT soybeans were overbought and due for at least a partial setback. Front-month May soybeansreached an overnight high of $13.78, the highest spot price since Sept. 15, 2011.
Softening cash soy markets in Brazil and parts of the United States added pressure. Unseasonably warm U.S. weather continues, and rainfall this week should boost 2012 corn and soy crop prospects. "The warm temperatures will continue for the next week to 10 days," said John Dee, meteorologist for Global Weather Monitoring.
FCPO- SINGAPORE, March 19 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures ended lower on Monday as investors booked profits on concerns the market was overbought, although losses were capped by upbeat demand prospects and soybean supply fears in drought-hit South America.
Palm oil prices hit a nine-month high of 3,418 ringgit last Friday, setting the stage for a price correction that pared gains to 6.2 percent so far this year.
"It's not surprising that the market came down today although the fundmentals didn't change. This is more of a correction and immediate support now is around 3,350 ringgit," said a trader with a foreign commodities brokerage.
But sentiment is still fairly bullish as market players expect Malaysia's strong export trend to continue as big buyers like China may increase edible oil shipments.
Benchmark June palm oil futureson the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange lost 0.7 percent to close at 3,373 ringgit ($1,105) per tonne. Traded volumes on Monday stood at 24,893 lots of 25 tonnes each, slightly lower than the usual 25,000 lots.
REGIONAL MARKET-BANGKOK, March 19 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stocks ended mostly lower on Monday as worries about the impact of high oil prices on profit margins prompted investors to cash in on recent gains.
Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> ended down 0.7 percent, after Friday's climb to a seven-month high amid upbeat corporate earnings, while the Philippine index <.PSI> fell 0.4 percent after hitting a record high of 5145.89 points in the
previous session.
Malaysia's biggest lender, Maybank, fell nearly 1 percent after a combined 1.8 percent gain in past four sessions. Manila's top listed firm Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co fell 1.7 percent, reversing its 1.5 percent rise on Friday.
Concerns about Iran's nuclear program added $1 to U.S. crude oil prices, while the euro climbed to its highest in more than a week against the dollar.
U.S. stocks traded in a choppy session as investors reassessed a rally that has taken the S&P 500 to levels not seen since the 2008 financial crisis. But a jump of more than 2 percent in Apple's stock price fueled gains for at least one more session.
"Investors have been reluctant to put money to work for a while, but Apple is giving greater confidence for them to invest in stocks," said Rick Meckler, president of investment firm LibertyView Capital Management in New York.
The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> added 6.51 points, or 0.05 percent, to end at 13,239.13, while the Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 5.58 points, or 0.40 percent, to 1,409.75. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> rose 23.06 points, or 0.75 percent, to close at 3,078.32.
NYMEX- NEW YORK, March 19 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures rose for a second day in a row on Monday on persistent worries about supply disruption from Iran, higher equities and a weaker dollar.
Concern about supplies from Iran continued to roil the oil market due to EU and U.S. sanctions even though Tehran has agreed to a new round of talks with world powers on its disputed nuclear program.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude for April delivery
CBOT SOYBEANS- Soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade reversed to close lower on profit-taking after export demand and concerns about a crop shortfall on South America lifted the market to a six-month high, traders said.
Traders said CBOT soybeans were overbought and due for at least a partial setback. Front-month May soybeans
Softening cash soy markets in Brazil and parts of the United States added pressure. Unseasonably warm U.S. weather continues, and rainfall this week should boost 2012 corn and soy crop prospects. "The warm temperatures will continue for the next week to 10 days," said John Dee, meteorologist for Global Weather Monitoring.
FCPO- SINGAPORE, March 19 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures ended lower on Monday as investors booked profits on concerns the market was overbought, although losses were capped by upbeat demand prospects and soybean supply fears in drought-hit South America.
Palm oil prices hit a nine-month high of 3,418 ringgit last Friday, setting the stage for a price correction that pared gains to 6.2 percent so far this year.
"It's not surprising that the market came down today although the fundmentals didn't change. This is more of a correction and immediate support now is around 3,350 ringgit," said a trader with a foreign commodities brokerage.
But sentiment is still fairly bullish as market players expect Malaysia's strong export trend to continue as big buyers like China may increase edible oil shipments.
Benchmark June palm oil futures
REGIONAL MARKET-BANGKOK, March 19 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stocks ended mostly lower on Monday as worries about the impact of high oil prices on profit margins prompted investors to cash in on recent gains.
Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> ended down 0.7 percent, after Friday's climb to a seven-month high amid upbeat corporate earnings, while the Philippine index <.PSI> fell 0.4 percent after hitting a record high of 5145.89 points in the
previous session.
Malaysia's biggest lender, Maybank
