SE Asia Stocks-Most down as investors await cues from Trump speech

By Susan Mathew

Feb 27 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets ended

down in dull trading on Monday as investors took a cautious

stance ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump's speech to a joint

session Congress on Tuesday, when he is expected to shed light

on proposed tax cuts among other policy proposals.

Trump is expected to unveil plans to cut and simplify the

tax system and make American companies more globally competitive

with lower rates and changes to encourage U.S. manufacturing.

Analysts warned that if Trump's plans lacked details on

execution, it may end Wall Street's record-setting run.

"What is affecting the market is how Trump will address the

Congress and I guess Fed Chairman Janet Yellen will also speak

in the Congress," said Manny Cruz, chief strategist at Asiasec

Equities Inc.

"So, there is a lot of tension in the market at this point.

If you look at the broad regional market, it is simply moving

sideways."

The regional markets were in line with their Asian peers as

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

fell 0.3 percent.

Philippine shares pared its gains earlier in the

session, closing down 0.4 percent, with consumer stocks JG

Summit Holdings and Universal Robina Corp

declining more than 1.5 percent.

Malaysia also gave up earlier gains to close down

0.3 percent, as basic material shares lost ground with Petronas

Chemicals Group Bhd losing 1.5 percent.

Thai shares closed at their lowest in more than a

month, down 0.4 percent as steel stocks Asia Metals and

Permsin Steel plummeted 18 percent.

Singapore shares fell 0.3 percent, while Indonesia

edged down marginally, snapping three straight sessions

of gains.

Bucking the trend, Vietnam Shares gained 0.4 percent,

after two losing sessions, buoyed by the financial sector, with

Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Viet Nam

gaining 2 percent.

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS: CHANGE ON DAY

Market Current Previous Close Pct Move

Singapore 3108.62 3117.03 -0.27

Bangkok 1558.03 1564.59 -0.42

Manila 7232.47 7258.99 -0.37

Jakarta 5382.874 5385.906 -0.06

Kuala Lumpur 1693.84 1698.35 -0.27

Ho Chi Minh 717.44 714.47 0.42

Change on year

Market Current End 2016 Pct Move

Singapore 3108.62 2880.76 7.91

Bangkok 1558.03 1542.94 0.98

Manila 7232.47 6840.64 5.7

Jakarta 5382.874 5296.711 1.63

Kuala Lumpur 1693.84 1641.73 3.17

Ho Chi Minh 717.44 664.87 7.9

(Reporting by Susan Mathew in Bengaluru; additional reporting

by Sandhya Sampath; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri)