17/02/2014 (The Star) - The following factors are likely to influence Malaysian palm oil futures and other vegetable oil markets on Monday Feb 17.

FUNDAMENTALS
* Malaysian palm oil futures rose to their highest level in nine weeks on Friday, extending gains into a third session as a climb in rival vegetable oils boosted prices ahead of eagerly anticipated export data.
* US wheat futures rose on Friday, hitting their highest level in 5½ weeks on technical buying after prices passed through key benchmarks, traders said.
* Brent oil futures rose in late session trading on Friday, boosted by demand for heating oil ahead of more winter cold and snow in the US Northeast as well as supply disruptions in producers Libya and Angola.

MARKET NEWS
* Asian markets could take heart on Monday after Wall Street managed to look past more soft US data, though Japanese stocks will be pressured by a stronger yen as the dollar loses altitude.

* A key commodities index climbed to five-month highs on Friday and notched a fifth straight weekly gain, as gold prices rallied on a weaker US dollar and wheat futures hit 5½-week highs on chart-based buying.     

RELATED
* Jakarta sees chilly ties with Australia until Oct - Indonesian govt document
* Power, steel, cement suggest China's economy not so buoyant  

DATA/EVENTS   

* Cargo surveyor Societe Generale de Surveillance to release data on Malaysia's Feb 1-15 palm oil export data.

Key commodity markets at 0018 GMT

Contract              Month    Last   Change     Low    High  Volume

RINGGIT/USD            3.2925    -0.01   3.291   3.303       

CHINA PALM OLEIN MAY4       0    +0.00       0       0       0
CHINA SOYOIL     MAY4       0    +0.00       0       0       0
CBOT SOYOIL      MAR4   39.15    +0.00    0.00    0.00       0
NYMEX CRUDE      MAR4  100.63    +0.33  100.23  101.04    2162

CBOT soy oil in US cents per pound, Dalian soy oil in Chinese yuan per tonne, and crude in US dollars per barrel. - Reuters