SE Asia Stocks-Fall on heightened caution ahead of key global events

* Asian shares ex-Japan down about 1 pct

* Vietnam slips after six straight sessions of gains

* Philippines falls 1 pct, Indonesia down ahead of holiday

By Mensholong Lepcha

June 8 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets fell on

Friday on heightened caution ahead of a key meeting of global

leaders and amid expectations that the Federal Reserve will

raise U.S. interest rates next week.

Global risk appetite took a hit after U.S. jobless claims

pointed to a further tightening in labour market conditions,

cementing expectations the Fed will raise benchmark U.S. rates

next week and twice again later in the year.

The widening rift between the United States and its major

trade partners after President Donald Trump imposed import

tariffs on steel and aluminium imports last week spurred

concerns ahead of a Group of Seven summit taking place on Friday

and Saturday in Quebec.

Investors also looked to a historic U.S.-Korea summit in

Singapore on June 12 where the main issue is whether North Korea

will abandon its nuclear weapons programme.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan

fell about 1 percent after six straight sessions

of gains that took it to the highest since mid-March on

Thursday.

Philippine stocks fell as much as 1.1 percent, after

a three-day winning run.

Jose Vistan, research head at AB Capital Securities,

attributed Friday's losses to profit-taking after strong gains

over the last few sessions.

Malaysian shares fell as much as 0.7 percent, with

lenders CIMB Group Holdings and Malayan Banking

among the biggest losing stocks.

Singapore shares were down as much as 0.6 percent,

weighed down by bank stocks.

OCBC slipped as much as 1.6 percent and United

Overseas Bank declined as much as 1.2 percent.

Indonesian shares dropped as much as 0.9 percent

from a six-week high, with losses across the index ahead of a

long holiday.

Consumer products company Unilever Indonesia

slipped nearly 1 percent, while Telkom Indonesia was

on track for its third straight sessions of losses.

Indonesian financial markets will be closed from June 11 to

June 19 for Eid Al-Fitr celebrations. Markets will resume trade

on June 20.

Vietnam shares slipped 0.2 percent after six

consecutive sessions of gains, weighed down mostly by losses in

real estate and consumer staple shares.

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS AS AT 0350 GMT

Change on the day

Market Current Previous Pct Move

close

Singapore 3454.84 3473.08 -0.53

Bangkok 1732.32 1733.05 -0.04

Manila 7738.08 7803.31 -0.84

Jakarta 6059.226 6106.698 -0.78

Kuala Lumpur 1775.3 1785.81 -0.59

Ho Chi Minh 1030.71 1036.69 -0.58

Change on year

Market Current End 2017 Pct Move

Singapore 3454.84 3402.92 1.53

Bangkok 1732.32 1753.71 -1.22

Manila 7738.08 8558.42 -9.59

Jakarta 6059.226 6355.654 -4.66

Kuala Lumpur 1775.3 1796.81 -1.20

Ho Chi Minh 1030.71 984.24 4.72

(Reporting by Mensholong Lepcha; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri)