25/07/2013 (The Star) - The following factors are likely to influence Malaysian palm oil futures and other vegetable oil markets.

FUNDAMENTALS
* Malaysian palm oil futures slipped to their lowest in more than seven months on Wednesday, weighed down by a U.S. soy market that suffered steep losses after a report forecast ideal weather for bumper crops.
* Oil prices fell on Wednesday, dragged by weak manufacturing data from China, with U.S. crude falling more steeply than Brent late in the session as traders took profits on the spread between the two contracts.

MARKET NEWS
* U.S. stock prices fell on Wednesday, retreating further from their record highs on disappointing results from several top companies, while stronger-than expected U.S. and European factory data spurred selling in safe-haven U.S. and German government debt, sending their yields higher.
* U.S. soybean and soybean meal futures plunged by their daily trading limits on Wednesday as cash bids for the oilseed collapsed across the Midwest and buyers retreated from the markets.
* Crude prices slumped on Wednesday after weak data from China renewed concerns about demand growth in the No. 2 oil consumer, and gold fell too as the dollar rose and funds exited from bullion amid continued U.S. and European recoveries.

RELATED NEWS
> Indonesia keeps crude palm oil tax at 10.5 percent for August
> Soybeans, soymeal drop by daily trading limits
> China's hunger for wheat to lift prices by 10 pct, curb supply
> S. Brazil coffee, cane belt escapes frost damage
> Coffee downtrend looms, potential low seen at $1.01/lb

DATA/EVENTS
> Cargo surveyors Intertek Testing Services and Societe Generale de Surveillance will issue exports data for July 1-25 on Thursday. - Thursday