SINGAPORE, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Chicago corn rose for a third consecutive session on Tuesday, hitting its highest level in more than a week, while soybeans gained ground as a slower-than-expected pace of U.S. harvest supported prices.

Wheat rose to its highest level in almost one week.

FUNDAMENTALS

* The most-active corn contract on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) added 0.4% to $4.83 a bushel, as of 0023 GMT, after hitting its highest level since Sept. 15 at $4.83-1/2 earlier in the session.

* Soybeans gained 0.5% at $13.04-3/4 a bushel and wheat rose 0.3% to $5.90-1/2 a bushel.

* The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that soybean and corn harvests advanced more slowly last week than analysts had expected.

* The soybean crop was 12% harvested, compared to estimates for 14%, and the corn harvest was 15% complete, compared to estimates for 17%.

* Rains delaying harvests over the weekend is triggering some short-covering in the futures markets.

* The agency rated 50% of the soybean crop in good-to-excellent condition, down 1 percentage point from a week ago, and the lowest for this time of year since 2013. Corn ratings improved, with 53% of the crop rated as good to excellent, up from 52% previously.

* Traders are awaiting quarterly stocks data due from the USDA on Friday and also monitoring global wheat values.

* In the wheat market, a tender last week from Egypt, a top global buyer, showed offers of Russian wheat at $270 per metric ton, free on board (FOB) before shipping costs. Traders believe that is a current minimum price sought by the Russian authorities for sales in international tenders.

* Commodity funds were net buyers of CBOT wheat, corn, soybean and soymeal futures contracts on Monday, traders said. Funds were net sellers of soyoil futures.

MARKET NEWS

* A global index of stocks fell slightly while Wall Street eked out a gain in Monday's choppy market as bond yields rose and investors continued to digest last week's central bank indications that interest rates would stay higher for longer.

DATA/EVENTS (GMT) 1400 US Consumer Confidence Sept 1400 US New Home Sales-Units Sept (Reporting by Naveen Thukral; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)