Palm | Kelapa Sawit

DJI-NEW YORK, March 24 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks advanced on Thursday as optimism about upcoming earnings and investor buying of the quarter's top performers lifted the S&P 500 above a key technical level.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> added 84.54 points, or 0.70 percent, to end unofficially at 12,170.56. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 12.12 points, or 0.93 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,309.66. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> rose 38.12 points, or 1.41 percent, to close unofficially at 2,736.42.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, March 24 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures ended little changed on Thursday, dipping 15 cents as investors took profits after the recent rally on supply worries caused by Libya's conflict and ongoing Middle East unrest.

Trade seesawed and total crude trading volumes remained light, well below the 30-day average.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, May crude fell 15 cents, or 0.14 percent, to settle at $105.60 a barrel, having traded from $104.76 to $106.69.

CBOT-CHICAGO, March 24 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures closed higher on Thursday, pulled up on leadership from wheat and corn, traders said.

Volume in CBOT soybeans was estimated at 161,000 contracts, down about 27 percent from its 30-day average, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Soymeal remained lower at the close amid sagging demand. Soyoil ended slightly higher, following soybeans.

FCPO-KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 (Reuters) - Malaysia's crude palm oil futures ended off a four-month low on Thursday although weak technicals and expectations of strong production continued to weigh.

Palm oil, which has lost around 15 percent so far this year, could decline further as the market is pricing in output recovery in Malaysia after two years of sluggish yields owing to erratic weather.

And weak exports are underscoring concerns that the global economic recovery may be faltering with quake-hit Japan's unfolding nuclear crisis and civil unrest in the Middle East.

Benchmark June palm oil on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange fell as much as 4.3 percent, or 143 ringgit to 3,163 ringgit ($1,045), a level unseen since Nov. 24, 2010, before settling higher at 3,270 ringgit. Overall trade volumes stood at 45,341 lots at 25 tonnes each, more than triple the usual 15,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, March 24 (Reuters) - Major Southeast Asian stock markets pushed higher on Thursday as demand for resource shares filtered through the region and investors picked banks amid strong loan growth outlook.

Optimism about emerging economies grew as well as a recovery in risk appetite. Turnover on the Thai stock market <.SETI> jumped almost two times its 30-day average and Indonesia <.JKSE> saw turnover rising above average.

Southeast Asia came under selling pressure last week amid fear over Japan's nuclear crisis but the region's bourses now hovers around multi-week highs, with Indonesia and Thailand hitting 10-week highs. Singapore <.FTSTI> and Malaysia <.KLSE> both moved around their highest in two weeks.