RTRS-NOPA December U.S. soy crush seen at 141.4 mln bu

CHICAGO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - The National Oilseed Processors Association's monthly crush data slated for release on Tuesday should show the U.S. crush for December 2011at 141.4 million bushels, analysts projected on Friday.

Trade estimates ranged from 139.0 million to 143.5 million bushels. NOPA reported the November 2011 crush at 141.277 million bushels and December 2010 at 145.537 million bushels.

The average analyst estimate for December U.S. soyoil stocks was 1.909 billion lbs,up from NOPA's November figure of 1.876 billion lbs. Forecasts ranged from 1.826 billion to 1.975 billion lbs.

RTRS-ARGENTINA 2011/12 CORN CROP SEEN AT 21.4 MLN T VS 26 MLN T MONTH AGO-ROSARIO GRAINS EXCHANGE

BUENOS AIRES, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Argentina's 2011/12 corn output is seen at 21.4 million tonnes, down sharply from the 26 million tonnes estimated last month due to dry weather, the Rosario grains exchange said on Friday.

The exchange raised its outlook for 2011/12 wheat to 13.7 million tonnes from 12.8 million tonnes previously, and held its 2011/12 soy forecast at 49.5 million tonnes.

Trader's Highlight

DOW JONES-NEW YORK, Jan 13 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks dropped on Friday, snapping a four-day winning streak, after news reports that Standard & Poor's would downgrade credit ratings on several euro-zone countries.

The ratings agency was reportedly set to downgrade euro-zone countries, including France and Austria, but leave the ratings of Germany and the Netherlands unchanged. French Finance Minister Francois Baroin said the country has been notified of a one-notch cut.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 48.96 points, or 0.39 percent, to 12,422.06 at the close. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> lost 6.41points, or 0.49 percent, to 1,289.09. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> fell 14.03 points, or 0.51 percent, to 2,710.67.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Jan 13 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures fell for the third straight day on Friday on anticipation that Standard & Poor's would downgrade credit ratings of several euro zone countries, stoking fears deeper economic troubles for the region.

Losses were curbed by short-covering ahead of the long holiday weekend with traders worried over potential supply disruptions in Nigeria and Iran.

Late in the afternoon, S&P issued its announcement of the downgrades. In post-settlement trading, NYMEX crude futures had slim gains, but at the end of electronic trading, crude futures were back to negative territory.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, February crude settled at $98.70 a barrel, dropping 40 cents, or 0.40 percent. In post-settlement trading, it last traded at $99.03, down 7 cents.

CBOT-SOYBEANS,Soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade fell for a fourth straight session, pressured by a stronger U.S. dollar and forecasts for more rain in South American crop areas, traders said.

Follow-through selling one day after the USDA released bearish data on U.S. soybean ending stocks also weighed on the
market.

CBOT soybeans ended down about 2.6 percent for the week, the second straight weekly decline.

FCPO-SINGAPORE, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures slipped on Friday as a much-anticipated U.S. crop report showed a higher-than-expected forecast of oilseed supplies, temporarily overshadowing prospects of lower production due to erratic weather.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture January crop report painted a rosier picture for global supplies on Thursday, while the Malaysian Palm Oil Board said this week that December stock levels were higher than expected.

Benchmark March palm oil futures on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange fell 1.6 percent to close at 3,151 ringgit ($1,007) per tonne. Prices earlier touched an intraday low of 3,143 ringgit, a level last seen on Dec. 29. Traded volumes stood at 30,727 lots of 25 tonnes each,higher than the usual 25,000 lots for the first time in the week.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Selective buying in commodities-related shares on the back of high oil prices helped lift some southeast Asian stock markets on Friday.

Positive comments on Europe's outlook, and stabilisation in European bond markets, also provided support as the region gained on the week, led by a 5.2 percent rise in Vietnam <.VNI>.

Strong demand at Spanish and Italian debt auctions helped tO offset lacklustre economic data from the United States, where retail sales rose in December at their weakest pace in seven months.

Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> climbed 1.8 percent, Jakarta's Composite Index <.JKSE> edged up 0.7 percent and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange index rose 1.8 percent.

Stocks in Malaysia <.KLSE>, Thailand <.SETI> and the Philippines <.PSI> erased early gains to finish down 0.2 percent, 0.71 percent, and 0.74 percent respectively.

Singapore's Golden Agri Resources Ltd rose 2.78 percent after a combined 2.7 percent drop in the previous two sessions, and Indonesia's PT Bumi Resources Tbk rose 2 percent.

RTRS-INDIA'S DEC PALM OIL IMPORTS SEEN DOWN 23.1 PCT VS NOV, SOYOIL IMPORTS SEEN UP 254.7 PCT - AVERAGE OF REUTERS SURVEY

NEW DELHI, Jan 12 (Reuters) - India's palm oil imports are likely to decline in December over the previous month as domestic oilseeds crushing peaked, but the fall is expected to reverse next month as local supplies run out, a Reuters survey showed on Thursday.

The other reasons for the fall are a weak rupee that has made imports costlier and a tendency of palm oil to solidify at lower temperatures. It is winter in India now.

Higher imports by India, the world's top buyer of vegetable oils, in January could push the benchmark palm oil futures that inched up on Wednesday as prospects of lower edible oil output in South America and southeast Asia.

Trader's Highlight

DOW JONES-NEW YORK, Jan 12 (Reuters) - The S&P 500 closed at a five-month high for the third day on Thursday but had difficulty extending gains in the face of lackluster economic data and another European bond market test.

Energy shares curbed gains after Chevron Corp , the second-largest U.S. oil company, said fourth-quarter profit would be far below the previous quarter. Chevron slid 2.6 percent to $104.97, making it the biggest drag on the Dow, while the S&P energy index <.GSPE> fell 0.9 percent and was the biggest decliner among S&P sectors.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 21.57 points, or 0.17 percent, to 12,471.02. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> added 3.02 points, or 0.23 percent, to 1,295.50. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> rose 13.94 points, or 0.51 percent, to 2,724.70.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures fell on Thursday in a late sell-off sparked by a report that a proposed European Union embargo on Iranian crude exports would be phased in over six months, reinforcing news already published by Reuters.

After trading higher for most of the day, both Brent and U.S. crude prices dropped soon after 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT) after Bloomberg News reported the proposed embargo would be delayed, or phased in over a six month period, citing an EU official with knowledge of the matter.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, February crude fell $1.77, or 1.75 percent, to settle at $99.10 a barrel, having traded as high as $102.98. It fell to a $98.50 low in post-settlement trading.

CBOT-SOYBEANS, Soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade fell for a third straight session on Thursday in active trade, after the U.S. Department of Agriculture raised its forecast of U.S. soy ending stocks above trade estimates, traders said.

USDA raised its forecast of U.S. 2011/12 soybean ending stocks -- the amount of soybeans that USDA forecasts will be left at the end of the 2011/12 marketing year on Aug. 31, 2012 -- to 275 million bushels, up from 230 million in December and above the average trade estimate of 233 million. USDA cut its estimate of 2011/12 U.S. soy crushings and exports.

FCPO-SINGAPORE, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures fell on Thursday, tracking an earlier decline in soy futures as rains in Argentina provided temporary relief to the drought-stressed crops while investors remained cautious ahead of a key U.S. report.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will issue January world crop data which traders expect to show downgrades of South American crop forecasts.

Benchmark March palm oil futures on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange eased 1 percent to close at 3,202 ringgit ($1,020) per tonne. Traded volumes stood at 17,886 lots of 25 tonnes each, thinner than the usual 25,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets were little changed on Thursday, with appetite for risk assets weak across Asia as investors waited for a Spanish debt sale that is seen as a key test of confidence amid nagging concerns about Europe's debt crisis.

The Philippines' main share index <.PSI> ended flat. It had climbed 1.9 percent on Wednesday, hitting an all-time high for a second session, but its 14-day relative strength index has moved above the "overbought" level to 79.2.

Stocks in Malaysia <.KLSE>, Thailand <.SETI> and Vietnam <.VNI> posted limited gains of 0.21 percent, 0.06 percent and 0.2 percent respectively. Indonesia <.JKSE> ended unchanged and Singapore <.FTSTI> eased 0.13 percent.

Banking shares advanced in Singapore as analysts expect the lenders to report strong loan growth in the final quarter of the year. DBS Group Holdings Ltd climbed 2.14 percent to a one-month high after a 3.2 percent gain in the previous two sessions.