Palm | Kelapa Sawit

DOW JONES-NEW YORK, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The euro and global stocks edged higher on Monday but worries over Europe's economy and its troubled banking sector, coupled with caution ahead of Italian and Spanish debt sales this week left riskier assets vulnerable to a slide.

As Wall Street gained slightly ahead of the start of the corporate earnings season, stocks slipped in Europe. A warning from German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy that Greece will get no more aid until it agrees to a debt swap with bank creditors provided a new fear factor in the European debt crisis.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> ended up 32.77 points, or 0.27 percent, at 12,392.69. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> closed up 2.89 points, or 0.23 percent, at 1,280.70. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> finished 2.34 points, or 0.09 percent, higher at 2,676.56.

NYMEX-NEW YORK, Jan 9 (Reuters) - U.S. crude futures fell for a third straight session on Monday as concerns about the weak euro zone economy overshadowed worries over supply disruption amid Iran's threats to shut the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping oil route.

A decline in the industrial output of Germany, Europe's largest economy, fresh fears of a Greek debt default and unresolved sovereign debt issues within the bloc again sparked oil demand worries.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, February crude settled down 25 cents, or 0.25 percent, at $101.31 a barrel, after trading from $100.10 to $102.15.

CBOT-SOYBEANS, Chicago Board of Trade soybean futures closed higher on hot and dry weather in Argentina that was trimming crop prospects.

Positioning ahead of the release on Thursday of USDA's January crop production reports. Average analyst estimates increased slightly 2011 U.S. soybean production, U.S. 2011/12 ending stocks and lowered estimates for South American soybean production.

FCPO-SINGAPORE, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Malaysian crude palm oil futures edged up on Monday as weather concerns in top oilseed producing regions trumped renewed worries about the euro zone debt crisis and investor caution ahead of key industry data.

Traders are looking at prospects of dry weather in South America hurting soy yields and heavy Southeast Asian rains disrupting palm oil production. But gains were limited by the poor euro zone retail sales and unemployment data, raising fears of a slowdown in growth and commodity demand.

Benchmark March palm oil futures on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange gained 0.1 percent to close at 3,215 ringgit ($1,000) per tonne. Traded volumes stood at 15,947 lots of 25 tonnes each, thinner than the usual 25,000 lots.

REGIONAL EQUITIES-BANGKOK, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets posted modest gains on Monday as investors picked consumer and financial stocks supported by growth at home, with sentiment reviving after signs of improvement in the German and U.S. economies.

The region recouped early losses in line with markets elsewhere in Asia and as the euro recovered after data showing German exports jumped 2.5 percent in November.

Malaysia's main index <.KLSE> was up 0.5 percent, Vietnam <.VNI> rose 0.8 percent after four losing sessions of more than 4 percent and Indonesia <.JKSE> edged up 0.5 percent. Singapore <.FTSTI> bucked the trend, falling 0.9 percent.

Shares seen as beneficiaries of domestic consumption were among gainers in the region, with PT Unilever Indonesia Tbk up 2.1 percent and Telekom Malaysia Bhd up 1.04 percent.