SE Asia Stocks-Most end higher; Malaysia posts 2-yr closing high

By Chris Thomas

June 5 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets ended

higher on Monday, tracking U.S. equities that posted record

highs on Friday despite a tepid jobs report.

Broader Asian stocks rebounded after appearing subdued in

early trade, with MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares

outside Japan gaining as much as 0.3 percent to

its highest in over two years.

"I think, generally, there still seems to be an underlying

interest towards emerging markets/Asia, with regional equities

taking broad cues from U.S. equities," said Emmanuel Ng, a

strategist with Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp in Singapore.

In Southeast Asia, Malaysian shares rose for a

second straight session to close at their highest in two years

on April exports data.

April exports rose 20.6 percent from a year earlier, the

fifth straight month of double-digit growth, and slightly missed

the 22.3 percent growth forecast in a Reuters poll.

Lenders Malayan Banking Bhd, Public Bank Bhd

and CIMB Group Bhd gained in a range of 0.6

percent to 2.1 percent.

Philippine shares rose 1.2 percent to close above the

8,000 level for the first time since August 2016.

Industrial and real estate stocks led the gains, with SM

Investments Corp rising 2.9 percent and SM Prime

Holdings climbing 2.5 percent.

Vietnam shares gained 0.6 percent with blue chip

Vinamilk climbing to its highest since September 2016.

Meanwhile, Thai shares gave up early gains to end

marginally lower, with energy stocks leading the decline. PTT

Pcl fell 2.1 percent, while PTT Exploration and

Production Pcl dropped 3.6 percent.

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS: Change on day

Market Current Previous Close Pct Move

Singapore 3238.31 3240.01 -0.05

Bangkok 1566.85 1567.6 -0.05

Manila 8001.38 7907.66 1.19

Jakarta 5748.235 5742.446 0.10

Kuala Lumpur 1787.95 1776.95 0.62

Ho Chi Minh 743.49 738.81 0.63

Change on year

Market Current End 2016 Pct Move

Singapore 3238.31 2880.76 12.41

Bangkok 1566.85 1542.94 1.55

Manila 8001.38 6840.64 16.97

Jakarta 5748.235 5296.711 8.52

Kuala Lumpur 1787.95 1641.73 8.91

Ho Chi Minh 743.49 664.87 11.82

(Reporting by Chris Thomas; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu)