JAKARTA (Dow Jones)--Crude palm oil futures on Malaysia's derivatives
exchange ended lower Wednesday on profit-taking and weakness in soyoil futures,
said trade participants.

  The benchmark April contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives ended MYR44
lower at MYR1,925 a metric ton.

  Bullish data released Wednesday by the Malaysian Palm Oil Board on the
country's palm oil output and stock level in January provided some support but
failed to push prices into positive territory.

  "The data fell within market expectations, so it didn't provide enough of a
boost to prices," said a Singapore-based analyst.

  Others said the bullish news, which had been widely anticipated even before
its release, had already been factored into prices Tuesday, which saw the
market break through the MYR1,950 resistance level to end at MYR1,969/ton.

  In its monthly report, the MPOB said crude palm oil output fell 10.4% to 1.32
million tons in January. CPO output totaled 1.48 million tons in December.

  Palm oil stocks totaled 1.83 million tons at the end of January, down 8.3% on
month. At the end of December, palm oil stocks were at 1.99 million tons.

  The MPOB also reported that Malaysia's palm oil exports in January fell 17%
on month to 1.35 million tons. Although the data was bearish, traders said the
market was already well aware of the low exports in January and reports of
lower stocks and output would negate such news.

  "With few bullish cues that hadn't already been factored into pricing, some
participants opted to book profits, especially amid weakness in rival soyoil
futures and the weak performance of global economic markets," said a Kuala
Lumpur-based trader.

  Soyoil traded lower overnight and for most of the Asian trading day as the
U.S. Department of Agriculture's supply and demand report released Tuesday was
viewed as friendly but not bullish to the market, said analysts.

  The USDA lowered its estimate for Argentina's soybean output by 5.7 million
tons to 43.8 million tons and Brazilian soybean production by 2 million tons to
57 million tons due to hot, dry weather. Paraguay's soybean production was
reduced to 4 million tons, down 1.6 million tons, for the same reason.

  Open interest for CPO on the BMD was 83,315 lots, down from 85,734 lots
Tuesday. Traded volume was 17,768 lots, up from 16,291 lots. One lot comprises
25 tons.

  Cash CPO for prompt shipment was last offered unchanged at MYR1,980/ton.

  Cash palm olein for April/May/June traded at $620/ton, $622.50/ton, $625/ton,
$630/ton and $615/ton, said a trader in Singapore.

 Closing BMD CPO futures prices in MYR/ton at 1000 GMT:

Month      Close    Previous   Change   High    Low
Feb 09     2,045    2,045           0   2,045   2,030
Mar 09     1,955    1,999      Dn  44   1,983   1,941
Apr 09     1,925    1,969      Dn  44   1,967   1,916
May 09     1,920    1,962      Dn  42   1,958   1,910