SE Asia Stocks-Indonesia hits record closing high; Thai banks weaker

BANGKOK, March 2 (Reuters) - The key Indonesian stock index

closed at a record high on Monday as easing inflation data

bolstered selective buying while the Thai benchmark hit a

one-month low on selling in banking stocks.

The Jakarta composite index closed 0.5 percent

higher at 5,477.83, above the record closing level of 5,451.42

on Thursday.

Among actively-traded stocks, retailer Matahari Putra Prima

jumped 3 percent and Astra International

rose 0.3 percent, with weaker February inflation data supporting

interest rate-sensitive sectors such as automobiles.

Indonesia's annual inflation in February eased more than

expected to 6.29 percent, due to falling prices of fuel and

chillies, the statistics bureau said on Monday.

The Thai SET index finished 0.3 percent lower at

1,582.14, its lowest close since Jan. 30, led down by banking

shares such as Bangkok Bank and Siam Commercial Bank

.

Falling consumer prices in Thailand have made investors

cautious about the central bank's outlook on interest rates,

which is due for review on March 11, brokers said.

Thailand reported annual consumer price index fell in

February for a second straight month due to lower oil prices

while Deputy Prime Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula said the price

weakness was not a concern as purchasing power remained

positive.

The Philippine main index was up 0.6 percent,

recouping some of the losses over the past two sessions. Foreign

inflows lifted shares such as Bank of the Philippine Islands

and Ayala Land, stock exchange data showed.

Others in the region ended mixed after a rangebound session

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

rose a modest 0.1 percent as China's weekend

interest rate cut partially offset soft U.S. data.

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS

Change on day

Market Current Prev Close Pct Move

Singapore 3403.89 3402.86 +0.03

Kuala Lumpur 1817.13 1821.21 -0.22

Bangkok 1582.14 1587.01 -0.31

Jakarta 5477.83 5450.29 +0.51

Manila 7773.92 7730.57 +0.56

Ho Chi Minh 590.73 592.57 -0.31

Change on year

Market Current End 2014 Pct Move

Singapore 3403.89 3365.15 +1.15

Kuala Lumpur 1817.13 1761.25 +3.17

Bangkok 1582.14 1497.67 +5.64

Jakarta 5477.83 5226.95 +4.80

Manila 7773.92 7230.57 +7.51

Ho Chi Minh 590.73 545.63 +8.27

(Reporting by Viparat Jantraprap; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)