SE Asia Stocks-Lukewarm as investors await Fed signals; Philippines down

By Geo Tharappel

Aug 31 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets were

soft on Wednesday as investors waited to see if upcoming U.S.

jobs data could nudge the Federal Reserve into raising interest

rates as soon as September.

Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said in a television

interview on Tuesday that the U.S. jobs market was nearly at

full strength and the pace of the central bank's interest rate

hikes would depend on how well the economy is doing.

U.S. consumer confidence rose to an 11-month high in August,

with households more upbeat about the labour market, data

released on Tuesday showed, in a further sign that the economy

was regaining steam after faltering in the first half of the

year.

"Everybody is waiting for this Friday... (U.S. jobs data)

will probably give more signals whether the Fed will hike rates

in September," said Ong Kian Lin, head of research at

Singapore-based RHB Securities.

Philippine shares fell nearly 1 percent and were

headed for their sixth straight session of declines, with

consumer cyclicals and utilities losing the most.

"Expecting negative bias in trading today because of hawkish

comments of the Fed overnight regarding the possibility of a

rate hike next month, that's bad overall for emerging countries

which includes the Philippines," said Ralph Bodollo, a property

analyst with Manila-based RCBC Securities Inc.

SM Investments Corp and Jollibee Foods Corp

fell 2.18 percent and 1.12 percent, respectively.

Conglomerate Aboitiz Equity Ventures, parent of one

of the Philippines' biggest power producers, fell as much as 2.8

percent to its lowest in two months.

Thai shares fell about 0.3 percent, with energy and

industrials losing the most. PTT Exploration and Production Pcl

and Thai Oil Pcl posted their biggest

intraday percentage loss in more than a week.

Crude oil futures continued to slip as the dollar held

around three-week highs and industry stocks data indicated a

build in U.S. crude inventories.

The Malaysian stock market was closed for a holiday.

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS

STOCK MARKETS

Change at 0445 GMT

Market Current previous Pct Move

close

Singapore 2828.86 2828.39 0.02

Bangkok 1541.8 1546.13 -0.28

Manila 7723.42 7794.93 -0.92

Jakarta 5373.624 5362.316 0.21

Ho Chi Minh 671.39 672.67 -0.19

Change this year

Market Current End 2015 Pct Move

Singapore 2828.86 2882.73 -1.87

Bangkok 1541.8 1288.02 19.70

Manila 7723.42 6952.08 11.10

Jakarta 5373.624 4593.008 17.00

Ho Chi Minh 671.39 579.03 15.95

(Reporting by Geo Tharappel in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu

Sahu)