Palm | Kelapa Sawit

DOW JONES-NEW YORK, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Hopes the euro zone will figure out a solution to its ongoing debt crisis inspired enough buying to push U.S. stocks to a third day of gains on Wednesday in light trading.

Euro zone nations are expected to vote on Friday on an agreement hashed out between Germany and France to tighten fiscal controls for member nation .

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 46.24 points, or 0.38 percent, to 12,196.37. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX><.INX> added 2.55 points, or 0.20 percent, to 1,261.02. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> shed 0.35 points, or 0.01 percent, to 2,649.21.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Dec 7 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures fell on Wednesday in choppy trading as a government report showing crude oil and products stockpiles rose last week and concerns about the euro zone debt problems pressured oil prices.

U.S. crude inventories rose 1.34 million barrels in the week to Dec. 2, the U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly report said on Wednesday, more than analysts expected.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, January crude fell 79 cents, or 0.78 percent, to settle at $100.49 a barrel, having traded from $99.67 to $101.94.

CBOT-SOYBEANS, Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures closed firm on concern about forecasts for drier weather in South American crop areas.

In Argentina, showers were limited to northwest fringes on Tuesday and will only be scattered through southern and western areas this weekend. The northeastern third of the corn and soybean belt may see some expanding moisture deficits by late in the month, particularly Santa Fe, Entre Rios and northeastern Buenos Aires - Commodity Weather Group.

Malaysian palm oil stocks likely fell for a second consecutive month in November, with the decline in production outpacing the drop in exports, a Reuters survey of seven plantation houses showed.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Wednesday on optimism that European leaders will take strong steps to resolve the region's debt crisis at a summit later this week.

Buyers looked for counters which were expected to show resilience in the face of global economic weakness, especially those which have been left with undemanding valuations after recent losses, brokers said.

Asian shares and the euro gained on Wednesday on hopes that the threat of mass credit rating downgrades will pressure European leaders to come up with a convincing framework for resolving the euro zone debt crisis at a crucial summit later this week.

Among individual stocks, Singapore property developer CapitaLand Ltd rose 2.4 percent, buoyed by hopes it could benefit from spinning off of its assets into trusts and as its valuations looked cheaper than its peers.