SE Asia Stocks-Edge up as Trump's dollar comment buoys exporters

By Shashwat Pradhan

Jan 18 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets inched

higher on Wednesday as investors picked up exporter shares after

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump expressed concerns over a

stronger dollar.

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump said

U.S. companies "can't compete with (China) now because our

currency is strong and it's killing us."

The dollar index, which measures the greenback

against six major peers, last stood at 100.41, up 0.1 percent,

after falling to 100.26 on Tuesday, its lowest since Dec. 8.

"At the current level that the dollar has reached from six

months ago, I think it is already high enough to invite some

investments into exporting countries," said Joseph Roxas,

president of Manila-based Eagle Equities Inc.

Sentiment was also boosted by oil prices which edged higher

with a weaker dollar underpinning markets, although gains were

limited by expectations that U.S. producers would boost

output.

MSCI's ex-Japan Asia-Pacific shares index

rose 0.3 percent, just shy of a three-month high hit last

Thursday.

Philippine stocks rose nearly half a percent and were

on track to snap five straight sessions of falls, powered by

industrial and real estate stocks.

"Philippines is rebounding a bit after few days of

corrections. Last few days were really just corrections. We did

not even break 7,100 (level)," Roxas said.

In other markets, Jakarta was headed for its first

rise in eight sessions on the back of gains in consumer staples

and financials.

Advancing issues outnumbered declining ones on the benchmark

index by two to one.

Malaysian stocks nudged higher with gains recorded

across most sectors.

Malaysian palm oil futures rose more than 1.5 percent on

Tuesday, tracking gains in rival oilseed soy and supported by

bullish sentiment on tight market supplies in the

evening.

Bucking the trend, Singapore was headed for a third

straight session of falls, with financials accounting for more

than half of the losses. United Overseas Bank Ltd, the

city-state's third-biggest lender, fell as much as 1.9 percent

in its biggest intraday percentage loss in nearly eight weeks.

For Asian Companies click;

SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS: Change at 0410 GMT

Market Current previous Pct Move

close

Singapore 3000.53 3012.77 -0.41

Bangkok 1569.7 1566.84 0.18

Manila 7157.25 7123.33 0.48

Jakarta 5285.568 5266.938 0.35

Kuala Lumpur 1667.72 1663.03 0.28

Ho Chi Minh 687.3 684.71 0.38

Change so far

this year

Market Current End prev yr Pct Move

Singapore 3000.53 2880.76 4.16

Bangkok 1569.7 1542.94 1.73

Manila 7157.25 6952.08 2.95

Jakarta 5285.568 5296.711 -0.21

Kuala Lumpur 1667.72 1641.73 1.58

Ho Chi Minh 687.3 672.01 2.28

(Reporting by Shashwat Pradhan in Bengaluru; Editing by

Subhranshu Sahu)