EMERGING MARKETS-Asian currencies at multi-month lows against US dollar; stocks mixed

* The won, rupiah and Taiwan dollar at multi-month lows * Chinese yuan declines * Singapore stocks at highest since Sept By Poonam Behura March 27 (Reuters) - Several Asian currencies hit multi-month lows on Wednesday, while regional stocks were mixed, with traders pouring into the safe-haven greenback after strong U.S. economic data. The South Korean won, one of the worst performers among Asian currencies for the year to date, slipped 0.5% to its lowest since Nov. 2. The Taiwanese dollar fell 0.3%, hitting its lowest level since Nov. 16. Indonesia's rupiah lost 0.4%, dropping to its lowest in nearly five months. The U.S. dollar, which measures the strength of the greenback against six major currencies, appreciated 0.1% to 104.38 on the back of stronger-than-expected orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods and concerns that hot inflation numbers could cause a rethink in the Federal Reserve's rate-cut outlook. The Fed's preferred inflation gauge - the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index (PCE) is due on Friday, and is expected to have risen 0.4% in the last month. "The Fed's decision to uphold three rate cuts in the dot plot for 2024 seemed to contradict the prevailing economic indicators, notably the above-forecast inflation data for January and February," said Luca Santos, currency analyst at ACY Securities. The Hong Kong's Hang Seng and mainland Chinese blue chips lost 0.7% and 0.5% respectively, reversing gains from the previous session. The stronger dollar had China's yuan down 0.2% at 7.2283 per dollar and close to a four-month low, even after the central bank signalled support with a firm setting of its daily trading band. Singapore's shares index, the worst performer in Asia markets so far this year, climbed 0.8%, a day after recording a sharp jump in industrial production for February. The index was at its highest level since Sept. 19. "Overall these numbers are in line with the regional recovery in exports and manufacturing we see across Asia, including out of Korea and Taiwan," MUFG analysts said in a note to clients. Elsewhere, Malaysian and Indonesian stocks dipped 0.5% and 0.3% respectively. Thailand's benchmark index advanced 0.4%. HIGHLIGHTS: ** China's industrial profits return to growth as conditions stabilise ** Indonesia's losing candidate urges court to disqualify president-elect ** Bank of Japan may be less dovish than markets think Asia stock indexes and currencies at 0347 GMT COUNTRY FX RIC FX FX INDE STOCKS STOCKS DAILY % YTD % X DAILY YTD % % Japan -0.10 -7.01 <.N2 1.01 22.58 25> China EC> India -0.02 -0.11 <.NS 0.00 1.26 EI> Indonesi -0.38 -2.84 <.JK -0.30 0.97 a SE> Malaysia -0.23 -2.92 <.KL -0.46 5.27 SE> Philippi -0.07 -1.58 <.PS 0.17 7.13 nes I> S.Korea 11> Singapor -0.12 -2.09 <.ST 0.83 0.61 e I> Taiwan -0.31 -3.94 <.TW 0.19 12.46 II> Thailand -0.29 -6.15 <.SE 0.39 -2.35 TI> (Reporting by Poonam Behura in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom Westbrook and Edwina Gibbs)