Palm | Kelapa Sawit

DJI-NEW YORK, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks fell on Wednesday as investors dialed back expectations of how aggressively the Fed would act to stimulate the economy.

With the uncertain outcomes of the U.S. elections and a Fed meeting next week, traders positioned themselves for more volatile markets. The CBOE Volatility index <.VIX> rose 2.4 percent and was up for the third consecutive day.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 43.18 points, or 0.39 percent, to 11,126.28. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> lost 3.19 points, or 0.27 percent, to 1,182.45. But the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 5.97 points, or 0.24 percent, to 2,503.26.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Oct 27 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil futures prices settled lower on Wednesday as the dollar strengthened and equities eased amid lowered expectations about economic stimulus that may be forthcoming from the Federal Reserve.

Crude futures closed well above their intraday low as RBOB gasoline futures manageda higher settlement after a government oil inventory report showed a large drop in gasoline stockpiles last week, against a forecast for stocks to be up slightly.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, December crude fell 61 cents, or 0.74 percent, to settle at $81.94 a barrel, having traded from $80.52 to $82.69.

CBOT-CHICAGO, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade grain and soybean complex close on Wednesday.

CBOT-SOYBEANS - November up 4-3/4 cents at $12.23-3/4 per bushel; January up 5 at $12.36. Followed wheat futures higher with gains posted despite a firm dollar and early profit-taking after market set a 14-month top.

CBOT-SOYOIL - December up 0.07 cent at 49.60 cents per lb. Turned firm in line with soy gains.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil extended losses on Wednesday and China's soyoil market tumbled from two-year highs as a stronger dollar made commodities priced in the currency expensive and unattractive as an inflation hedge.

The dollar rose broadly on Wednesday as speculation the U.S. Federal Reserve would take a gradualist approach to more quantitative easing next week prompted players to liquidate some short dollar positions.

Benchmark January 2011 palm oil futures on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange ended 0.5 percent lower at 3,037 ringgit ($981.3), extending losses to a second day after the market hit a two-year high on Monday.

Traded volume was heavy at 19,420 lots of 25 tonnes each changing hands, almost double from the usual 10,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets fell on Wednesday, finishing below the day's highs as risk appetite faded ahead of the likely release next week of details on a second round of quantitative easing in the United States.

Asian stocks elsewhere also moved lower after a Wall Street Journal article suggested the scale of the Federal Reserve's quantitative easing may be less than some in the market had expected.

Singapore's index <.FTSTI> lost 1.2 percent, at one point hitting a three-week low, Indonesia <.JKSE> dropped 0.8 percent after an early climb to a new record, and Thai stocks <.SETI> fell 1.2 percent, failing to hold above the 1,000 mark.

Singaporean palm oil firm Golden Agri-Resources Ltd fell 1.5 percent after rising to a two-year high on Tuesday, while Thailand's biggest coal mining firm, Banpu Pcl , dropped 2.5 percent after a surge on Tuesday to an all-time high.

Among bright spots, Singapore healthcare provider Thomson Medical Centre rose 5 percent after it reported strong fourth-quarter results.

Shares in Singapore-listed Chinese aluminium producer XinRen Aluminum opened 18.2 percent higher than their issue price at S$0.65 on their debut before ending at S$0.635.