SE Asia Stocks -Major markets retreat, energy shares drag
BANGKOK, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets
snapped recent gains in range-bound trade on Thursday, with the
Philippine main index reversing from the previous day's record
close as a fall in crude prices overnight triggered selling in
recently-rallying energy shares.
Oil-related stocks led the losers. Shares of Philippine
Petron Corp slipped 1.4 percent, Singapore's Sembcorp
Marine dropped 2.6 percent and Malaysia's
Sapurakencana Petroleum's eased 0.7 percent.
Oil prices rose on Thursday, rallying a little after big
losses in the previous session, after China took steps to pour
fresh liquidity into the world's second-biggest economy to spur
activity.
Markets could see small losses after China's central bank
made a system-wide cut to bank reserve requirements to tackle
economic slowdown and looming deflation, according to brokers in
the region.
"On the positive side, China announced that it will cut
Reserve Requirement Ratio by 50 basis points to boost bank
lending, which is positive to China's economic outlook,"
strategists at KGI Securities in Bangkok wrote in a report.
Bangkok's key SET index was down 0.08 percent,
dragged by large-cap energy stocks. Top energy firm PTT
and energy explorer PTT Exploration and Production
both fell more than 2 percent.
The Philippine main index edged down 0.4 percent,
after a 1.4 percent gain on Wednesday to 7,716.06, its eighth
record close this year.
Singapore's Straits Times Index eased 0.4 percent,
after a 0.3 percent rise on the prior trading day. Malaysia
was a tad lower after marking its biggest single-day
gain in more than six weeks on Wednesday.
Indonesia fell after hitting a near two-week closing
high in the previous session.
Shares in PT Bank Mandiri Tbk dropped 0.9 percent
after parliament rejected a government proposal for the lender
to receive a 5.6 trillion rupiah ($443 million) capital
injection.
Bucking the trend, Vietnam rose for a second session,
adding about 1 percent.
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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS
Change 0405 GMT
Market Current Prev Close Pct Move
Singapore 3403.39 3417.57 -0.41
Kuala Lumpur 1800.78 1803.02 -0.12
Bangkok 1598.60 1599.81 -0.08
Jakarta 5293.28 5315.28 -0.41
Manila 7684.27 7716.06 -0.41
Ho Chi Minh 566.98 561.45 +0.98
(Reporting by Viparat Jantraprap; Editing by Anupama Dwivedi)