Palm | Kelapa Sawit

DJI- NEW YORK, Dec 29 - Violence in the Middle East drove up the price of oil on Monday on worries about threats to crude supplies and fueled a bid for safe-haven government debt.

U.S. stocks fell as Kuwait's decision to scrap a $17.4 billion joint venture with Dow Chemical highlighted fears about the global economy, even as the higher oil prices drove up energy shares.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 31.62 points, or 0.37 percent, at 8,483.93. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index lost 3.38 points, or 0.39 percent, at 869.42. The Nasdaq Composite Index declined 19.92 points, or 1.30 percent, at 1,510.32.

NYMEX- NEW YORK, Dec 29 - U.S. crude oil futures rose amid volatile trading on Monday, lifted by fighting in Gaza, a weaker dollar, China's intent to add to its strategic petroleum reserve and bargain hunting, sources said.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, February crude rose $2.31, or 6.13 percent, to settle at $40.02 a barrel, trading from $37.53 to $42.20.

CBOT - SOYBEANS - January down 13-1/4 cents at $9.38-1/2 bushel, March off 11 cents at $9.45-1/2 a bushel.

Falls as traders lock in profits following rally to near 3-month high.

SOYOIL - January off 0.61 cent at 32.21 cents a pound, March down 0.59 cent at 32.53 cents a pound.

Weakened by downturn in soybean futures.

FCPO - KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 - Malaysian crude palm oil futures finished 1.99 percent higher on Friday supported by strong exports and gains in crude oil prices.

Exports of Malaysian palm oil products for Dec. 1-25 rose 24 percent to 1,345,325 tonnes from 1,087,865 tonnes shipped between Nov. 1 and 25, cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services said on Friday.

The benchmark March 2009 contract on Bursa Malaysia's Derivatives Exchange ended up 31 ringgit at 1,590 ringgit ($456.9) per tonne. Gains in other traded months ranged between 20 ringgit and 35 ringgit.

REGIONAL EQUITIES - BANGKOK, Dec 29 - Singapore shares hit a one-week high on Monday, pushed up by financials and property shares such as DBS and Capitaland, while Thai stocks reversed losses and ended higher for a third day despite renewed political turmoil.

Singapore's Straits Times Index rose 3.2 percent to close at its highest level since Dec. 22, while the main Thai index inched up 0.02 percent, building on a 1.7 percent gain over the past two days.