KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 3): Malaysian palm oil futures hit a two-week high on Thursday, reversing course in the second half on the back of a weaker ringgit and bargain hunting by traders after the previous session's more than 1% fall.
The benchmark November contract on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange ended 2.3% higher at 2,034 ringgit ($480.28) a tonne, its highest since Aug 18. Earlier in the day, it fell as much as 0.6% to 1,977 ringgit.
Traded volume stood at 39,140 lots of 25 tonnes each, more than the usual daily average 35,000 lots.
While a weaker ringgit propped up prices, palm also saw an uptrend as traders took advantage of softer prices, said a Kuala Lumpur-based trader.
"In the absence of the Chinese market, we need to hang on to something and Malaysian palm oil lately has not been independent," the trader said.
The ringgit weakened against the dollar by 0.7% to 4.24. So far this year, it has been emerging Asia's worst performing currency.
On the technical front, Reuters market analyst Wang Tao said palm oil will maintain its target of 1,963 ringgit as indicated by its wave pattern and a Fibonacci retracement analysis.
In other vegetable oil markets, the US December soyoil contract was up 1.5% in Asian trade.
Oil prices fell on Thursday due to an unexpected build up in US crude inventory and a stronger dollar, but was supported by a recovery in Asian shares after Wall Street posted near 2% gains overnight.
Palm oil often takes price direction from crude oil due to the increasing use of vegetable oils in making renewable fuels.
Palm, soy and crude oil prices at 1027 GMT
| Contract | Month | Last | Change | Low | High | Volume |
| MY PALM OIL | SEP5 | 1951 | +28.00 | 1931 | 1951 | 26 |
| MY PALM OIL | OCT5 | 1994 | +40.00 | 1945 | 2000 | 1511 |
| MY PALM OIL | NOV5 | 2034 | +45.00 | 1977 | 2048 | 21934 |
| CHINA PALM OLEIN | JAN6 | 0 | +0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CHINA SOYOIL | JAN6 | 0 | +0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CBOT SOY OIL | DEC5 | 27.51 | +4.90 | 27.10 | 27.54 | 6927 |
| INDIA PALM OIL | SEP5 | 380.40 | +4.90 | 375.50 | 381.90 | 1897 |
| INDIA SOYOIL | OCT5 | 573.30 | +0.95 | 571.20 | 574.30 | 20895 |
| NYMEX CRUDE | OCT5 | 46.32 | +0.07 | 45.65 | 46.57 | 38612 |
Palm oil prices in Malaysian ringgit per tonne
CBOT soy oil in US cents per pound
Dalian soy oil and RBD palm olein in Chinese yuan per tonne
India soy oil in Indian rupee per 10 kg
Crude in US dollars per barrel
($1 = 4.2350 ringgit)
($1 = 66.2300 Indian rupees)
($1 = 6.3549 Chinese yuan)