Palm oil rises for third day, tracking crude oil and Dalian

JAKARTA: Malaysian palm oil futures rose for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, buoyed by stronger crude oil prices and gains in rival edible oils on the Dalian market.

The benchmark palm oil contract for December delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange gained 51 ringgit, or 1.09%, to 4,733 ringgit ($1,160.05) a metric ton by the midday break.

“The FCPO is tracking Dalian performance and crude oil prices today,” a Kuala Lumpur-based trader said.

Oil prices climbed on Wednesday after two vessels were struck in the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian officials told Reuters they were deploying new tactics to target ships, as Tehran seeks to keep oil prices high and influence the US midterm elections.

Stronger crude oil futures make palm a more attractive option for biodiesel feedstock.

Dalian’s most-active soyoil contract rose 0.89%, while its palm oil contract gained 1.07%.

Soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade were up 0.18%.

Palm oil tracks the price movements of rival edible oils, as it competes for a share of the global vegetable oils market.

Malaysia’s palm oil stockpiles in September surged to 3.51 million metric tons as production hit an all-time high, surpassing market expectations and reaching levels that were once thought impossible.

Cargo surveyors estimated that exports of Malaysian palm oil products for October 1-10 rose between 33.5% and 37.7% from a month earlier.

The ringgit, palm’s currency of trade, strengthened 0.1% against the dollar, making the commodity slightly more expensive for buyers holding foreign currencies.

Palm oil may retest a resistance at 4,766 ringgit per metric ton, a break above which could lead to a gain into the 4,799-4,820 ringgit range, Reuters technical analyst Wang Tao said.