SE Asia Stocks-Most edge lower on U.S rate rise fears

* Singapore extends falls, Vietnam snaps 4 sessions of gains

* Odds of Philippine rate hike rise after cbank inflation

view

* Indonesians shares gain after strong manufacturing data

By Aditya Soni

March 1 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets

slipped on Thursday after Wall Street tumbled overnight on

revived fears of more rate hikes than expected this year.

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, in his first public

appearance as head of the Fed, vowed at a congressional hearing

on Tuesday (U.S. time) to prevent the economy from overheating

while sticking with a plan to gradually raise interest rates.

His remarks continued to weigh on equities on Thursday, with

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

dipping 0.1 percent.

"Waves of risk aversion are running through investors' heads

as they prepare for round two of Jay Powell's testimony,

probably hoping that he dials back on some of those hawkish

overtones he delivered to Congress on Tuesday," Stephen Innes,

head of trading for Asia Pacific at Oanda said in a note.

Singapore shares declined for a third straight

session and posted their lowest close in a week, dragged mainly

by industrials.

Conglomerate Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd dipped

1.5 percent, while Venture Corp Ltd slipped 2.3

percent.

Philippine shares fell 0.1 percent after the central

bank said on Wednesday that annual inflation could breach the

official target in February, possibly quickening to a more than

three-year high of 4.8 percent.

Inflation breaching the 4 percent mark definitely increases

the odds of a rate hike, said Fio De Jesus, an equity research

analyst with RCBC Securities in Manila.

Financials and industrials led the losers, with JG Summit

Holdings Inc falling 5.4 percent to a near three-month

low, while BDO Unibank Inc slid 1.7 percent.

Vietnam shares shares fell 0.5 percent with

financials leading the losers.

Vietcombank, Vietnam's top lender by market value,

dropped 3.1 percent, accounting for most of the losses, while

Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of

Vietnam slid 3.1 percent.

Indonesian shares ticked up after data showed that

manufacturing activity expanded in February at the fastest pace

since June 2016.

Consumer Staples and telecommunications discretionary stocks

were the biggest gainers. PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia

rose 1.5 percent, while Elang Mahkota Teknologi Tbk PT

firmed 7.7 percent.

Malaysian shares edged up with Genting Bhd

and Sime Darby Plantation Bhd rising 3.1 percent and

2.8 percent, respectively.

The Thai stock market was closed for a public

holiday.

For Asian Companies click;

SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS

Market Current Previous close Pct Move

Singapore 3513.85 3517.94 -0.12

Manila 8465.77 8475.29 -0.11

Jakarta 6606.053 6597.218 0.13

Kuala Lumpur 1860.86 1856.2 0.25

Ho Chi Minh 1115.79 1121.54 -0.51

Change on year

Market Current End prev yr Pct Move

Singapore 3513.85 3402.92 3.26

Manila 8465.77 8,558.42 -1.08

Jakarta 6606.053 6,355.65 3.94

Kuala Lumpur 1860.86 1796.81 3.56

Ho Chi Minh 1115.79 984.24 13.37

(Reporting by Aditya Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Subhranshu

Sahu)