Palm | Kelapa Sawit

DJI-NEW YORK, Oct 8 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Thursday as a surprising quarterly profit from Alcoa Inc got third-quarter earnings off to a strong start.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 61.29 points, or 0.63 percent, to end at 9,786.87. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 7.90 points, or 0.75 percent, to 1,065.48. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> advanced 13.60 points, or
0.64 percent, at 2,123.93.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Oct 8 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures rebounded on Thursday, ending more than 3 percent higher, on economic recovery optimism as Wall Street surged and the dollar weakened.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, November crude settled up $2.12, or 3.05 percent, at $71.69 a barrel, trading from $69.17 to $72.55.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - November up 24 cents at $9.36 a bushel. Plunging dollar, slow U.S. soy harvest, firm cash soy, concern about a freeze this weekend that could harm some of the immature U.S. soy crop and gains in crude lift soybeans. Traders also note unwinding of some corn/soy spreads.

An average of analysts' estimates for 2009 U.S. soy production was 3.281 billion bushels, up from the September forecast for 3.245 billion.

An average of analysts' estimates pegged 2009/10 U.S. soy ending stocks at 249 million bushels, up from the September forecast for 220 million.

CBOT-SOYOIL - October up 0.55 cent at 34.28 cents per lb; December up 0.53 cents at 34.57. Spillover support from gains in soy, higher crude oil and a weak dollar.

Trade awaits USDA October crop and supply/demand reports early Friday.

FCPO-JAKARTA, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Malaysia's crude palm oil futures dropped 2.3 percent to their weakest closing in 12 weeks on Thursday ahead of a slew of industry data that may show weak exports and higher production, traders said.

The benchmark December contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivative Exchange settled down 47 ringgit at 2,030 ringgit ($599.09) a tonne, the lowest close since July 16. Trade volumes were at 15,066 lots of 25 tonnes each.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets were
mostly higher on Thursday, as property heavyweight CapitaLand led Singapore to a one-week high and Malaysia hovered at two-week highs on financial-led buying.

Singapore's index <.FTSTI> gained 0.6 percent to its highest since Oct. 1, Malaysia's index <.KLSE> added 0.9 percent to its highest since Sept. 23, while Thailand's index <.SETI> closed up 0.3 percent at 15-month highs.

In Kuala Lumpur, financials advanced with CIMB Group rising 4.5 percent, Public Bank up 2.8 percent and Malayan Banking 0.6 percent higher. Top Glove climbed 2.3 percent after it posted a 126 percent increase in fourth quarter net profit.