Palm | Kelapa Sawit

DJI-NEW YORK, Jan 6 (Reuters) - The Dow and S&P 500 inched higher, while the Nasdaq dipped on Wednesday after Federal Reserve officials said they were still worried about labor market weakness and a report on the services sector showed only slight improvement in the economy.

Cautious minutes from the Fed's last meeting, as well as the ISM services report, which showed the sector hovering on the cusp of expansion, came after a number of data points helped lift stocks earlier this week to their highest closing levels in more than a year.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Jan 6 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures ended above $83 a barrel on Wednesday, extending a rally to a 10th trading session, as the dollar weakened and despite government data showing a surprise increase in crude stockpiles last
week.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, February crude settled up $1.41, or 1.72 percent, at $83.18 a barrel, the highest close since Oct. 9, 2008's $86.59. It traded from $80.85 to $83.52, the highest since the intraday high of $84.83 on Oct. 14, 2008.

CBOT-CHICAGO, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grains and soy complex close on Wednesday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - January down 1-3/4 cents at $10.50-1/2 per bushel, most-active March down 2 at $10.59. Pressured by prospects for bumper South American soy crops, and news of China introducing soy import licenses.

CBOT-SOYOIL - January down 0.04 at 40.67 cents per lb, March down 0.03 at 41.07 cents. Following soybeans lower.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures rose as much as 1.6 percent on Wednesday to a fresh seven-month high on steady crude oil and soyoil markets.

Expectations of China stockpiling ahead of the Lunar New Year due in mid-February also helped to boost palm oil prices, which posted their best annual gains in a decade last year.

The benchmark March contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange gained 44 ringgit to hit 2,726 Malaysian ringgit ($805.3), a level unseen since May 15 last year, before settling up 20 ringgit at 2,702 ringgit.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Wednesday as growing confidence about the global economy lured investors to riskier assets, sending Singapore and Malaysia to their highest levels since mid-2008.

Singapore's Straits Times Index <.FTSTI> rose 0.4 percent, coming off its highest level since July 31, 2008, with palm oil planter Golden Agri-Resources Ltd closing up 6.5 percent at a 17-month high.

In Kuala Lumpur, shares <.KLSE> rose for a second day, hitting their highest level since May 20, 2008, before closing up 0.4 percent. Financials led the way, with AMMB Holdings Bhd , the country's fifth-largest bank, rising 0.4 percent and CIMB 2 percent higher.