KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 (Reuters) – Malaysian palm oil futures rose for a third straight session on Friday, underpinned by stronger crude oil prices and a softer ringgit, and were on track for their first weekly gain in four. The benchmark palm oil contract for December delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange gained 14 ringgit, or 0.31%, to 4,460 ringgit ($1,059.38) a metric ton in early trade. The contract has risen 1.36% so far this week. FUNDAMENTALS * Soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade were up 0.04%. The Dalian Commodity Exchange is closed from October 1 to 8 for holidays. * Palm oil tracks price movements of rival edible oils, as it competes for a share of the global vegetable oils market. * Oil prices rose slightly after four straight sessions of declines but were on track for their steepest weekly decline since late June due to market expectations that the OPEC+ group could hike output further despite oversupply concerns. * Stronger crude oil futures make palm a more attractive option for biodiesel feedstock. * The ringgit, palm's currency of trade, weakened 0.19% against the dollar, making the commodity cheaper for buyers holding foreign currencies. * Indonesia's state palm oil company Agrinas Palma Nusantara plans to develop a biofuel production complex in the Papua region, aiming to produce biodiesel entirely from palm oil, a company director said in an interview with CNBC Indonesia. * The Indonesian trade ministry urged the European Union to adopt the World Trade Organization's panel ruling to remove countervailing duties on Indonesian biodiesel imports and regretted the block's move to appeal the WTO ruling. * There will be no daily reports from Reuters markets analyst Wang Tao from October 3 to 10. Routine reports will resume on Oct. 13. MARKET NEWS * Asian stocks were poised for solid weekly gains on Friday as rising odds of the Federal Reserve cutting rates in the near-term helped cushion jitters around a U.S. government shutdown that have pushed gold to record highs and weighed on the dollar. DATA/EVENTS 0750 France HCOB Services, Composite PMI Sep 0755 Germany HCOB Services, Composite Final PMI Sep 0800 EU HCOB Services Final, Composite Final PMI Sep 0830 UK S&P GLOBAL PMI: COMPOSITE – OUTPUT Sep 0830 UK Reserve Assets Total Sep 1345 US S&P Global Comp, Svcs PMI Final Sep 1400 US ISM N-Mfg PMI Sep ($1 = 4.2100 ringgit) (Reporting by Ashley Tang; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)
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