Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Nov 7 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed a volatile, lightly traded session slightly higher on Monday, with sentiment continuing to shift with the latest headline from Europe.

Wall Street spent most of the session lower before rebounding after Juergen Stark, a member of the European Central Bank's Executive Board, said the region's debt crisis might be overcome in "one or two years at the latest."

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 85.22 points, or 0.71 percent, at 12,068.46. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up 7.89 points, or 0.63 percent, at 1,261.12. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 9.10 points, or 0.34 percent, at 2,695.25.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Nov 7 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures were up for the fourth straight day on Monday to settle at a 14-week high on hopes Greece and Italy could resolve their debt troubles and on renewed concerns about Iran's nuclear program.

Over the weekend, the Greek government led by Prime Minister George Papandreou survived a no-confidence vote and Papandreou later agreed to step down. A new crisis coalition is hoped to push through parliamentary approval of a euro zone bailout deal.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, December crude settled at $95.52 a barrel, gaining $1.26, or 1.34 percent, the highest close since July 29's $95.70. . In post-settlement trading, the contract rose to a session high $96.11, highest since Aug. 1.

CBOT-SOYBEANS,Soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade fell for a second day on a forecast for a record-large soy crop in Brazil, slow U.S. export demand and concerns the European debt crisis could engulf Italy, traders said.

The dollar firmed against the euro, pressuring grains, as record high Italian bond yields and political uncertainty fanned fears about the euro zone debt crisis.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures climbed to a near seven-week high on Friday ahead of a long weekend, fuelled by improving risk appetite after Greece said it would abandon a referendum on its debt bailout package.

Concerns over the brewing La Nina weather pattern bringing more rains during the monsoon season also gave support to prices, although traders said the market would fully price in the development when there are signs of floods.

Benchmark January palm oil futures on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange settled up 1.2 percent at 3,013 ringgit ($959) after rising as high as 3,020 ringgit -- a level unseen since Sept. 22.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Stocks in Indonesia and Thailand edged lower in light volume on Monday as big caps pulled back in a subdued holiday trading session and as steady quarterly economic growth failed to lure buying interest in Jakarta.

Market turnover for Indonesia and Thailand halved a monthly average in the absence of market participants due to a holiday in the region, including a Muslim holiday in Indonesia.

Singapore <.FTSTI>, Malaysia <.KLSE>, the Philippines <.PSI> were shut on monday, reopening on Tuesday.

Trader's Highlight

DJI-NEW YORK, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Global stocks and crude oil rallied on Thursday on rising hopes Greece will abandon plans to hold a referendum over a euro-zone bailout and after the European Central Bank cut interest rates in a surprise move.

Greece's teetering government backed away from a proposed referendum on staying in the euro, while European leaders talked for the first time of a possible Greek exit to preserve the single currency.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> jumped 208.43 points, or 1.76 percent, to close at 12,044.47. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 23.25 points, or 1.88 percent, to end at 1,261.15. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 57.99 points, or 2.20 percent, to end at 2,697.97.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Nov 3 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures rose a second straight session on Thursday as fresh indications Greece will avoid a nationwide referendum on its bailout and a surprise European Central Bank interest rate cut pushed oil and equities higher.

Greece's teetering government backed away from a proposed referendum on staying in the euro on Thursday, while European leaders talked for the first time of a possible Greek exit to preserve the single currency.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, December crude rose $1.56, or 1.69 percent, to settle at $94.07 a barrel, having traded from $90.87 to $94.61, only 21 cents under front-month crude's 200-day moving average at $94.82.

CBOT-SOYBEANS, Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures closed higher on renewed optimism about a solution to the euro zone debt issue. Equities and crude oil rose and the dollar weakened on increased hopes for the euro zone.

Light deliveries on the November at 9 contracts and strong commercial stopping of the recent deliveries lift the soybean market. Wet weather over the next week to 10 days will slow the remaining harvest of the U.S. corn and soybean crops.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures rose to a near one-week high on Thursday, as expectations of lower Southeast Asian output buoyed prices late in the session, with uncertainty surrounding the euro zone debt crisis capping gains.

Benchmark January palm oil futures on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange ended 0.6 percent higher at 2,976 Malaysian ringgit ($950) a tonne after going as high as 2,978 ringgit.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets pulled lower on Thursday, led by financials and resource shares, as investors booked quick profits in the face of deteriorating euro zone debt problems.

The falls came in light volume, reflecting uncertainty after Greece's prime minister announced a referendum on the euro zone's planned bail-out for the country.

Malaysia posted 85 million ringgit ($27 million) in outflows, erasing 80 million ringgit in inflows on Wednesday, stock exchange data showed.

In Singapore, United Overseas Bank Ltd and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Ltd were among the losers, sliding 2.6 percent and 1.2 percent respectively, after weaker-than-expected quarterly earnings.