SE Asia Stocks-Most end higher after tepid trade; Singapore slips

* Singapore sole loser, banks and real estate weigh * Caution ahead of China industrial output data subdues sentiment * Philippines cuts GDP growth target for 2019 after bell By Rashmi Ashok March 13 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stocks closed higher in lacklustre trade on Wednesday, while Singapore slipped as caution prevailed ahead of China's industrial output data. Singapore stocks were the sole losers in the region, ending 0.5 percent lower. China's January-February industrial output and retail sales data is due on Thursday. With recent gloomy economic data arising out of the world's second-largest economy, Singapore's market appeared to grapple with concerns about slowing global growth and trade. "In the end, you still go back to fundamentals, and that is slowing trade and slowing economies. Expectations are not at a high level for Chinese data... I think there's some cautiousness ahead of that," said Joel Ng, an analyst at KGI Securities. Among top losers were lender DBS Group Holdings Ltd that slid 1.3 percent and food retailer Dairy Farm International Holdings Ltd which slumped nearly 4 percent. Most markets in the region staged a recovery, led by Thailand, just before the bell after trading weaker through the session. Thai stocks rose 0.7 percent, with hospital operator Bangkok Dusit Medical Services PCL gaining 0.8 percent. A rise in oil prices also helped prop up the energy- heavy index. Malaysian stocks firmed 0.4 percent, with telecommunication provider and index-heavyweight Axiata Group Bhd rising about 4 percent and lender RHB Bank Berhad gaining 2.8 percent. Indonesian stocks, which were little changed during mid-afternoon trade, changed track to settle 0.4 percent higher. Among the top gainers were household products manufacturer Unilever Indonesia Tbk and animal feed supplier Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk, which rose 2 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Vietnamese stocks added 0.4 percent. Real estate and financial stocks largely underpinned gains. Philippine stocks closed 0.2 percent higher, before the country slashed its growth forecasts for this year and the next. Philippines cut its GDP growth target for the year 2019 to 6-7 percent, instead of 7-8 percent, citing the impact of a delay in the approval from the legislature for the year's budget. The growth target for the next year was been trimmed, to 6.5-7.5 percent, from 7-8 percent. For Asian Companies click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS Change on the day Market Current Previous close Pct Move Singapore 3195.59 3212.25 -0.52 Bangkok 1639.67 1627.59 0.74 Manila 7766.15 7747.54 0.24 Jakarta 6377.575 6353.774 0.37 Kuala Lumpur 1678.24 1671.28 0.42 Ho Chi Minh 1005.41 1001.32 0.41 Change so far in 2019 Market Current End 2018 Pct Move Singapore 3195.59 3068.76 4.13 Bangkok 1639.67 1563.88 4.85 Manila 7766.15 7,466.02 4.02 Jakarta 6377.575 6,194.50 2.96 Kuala Lumpur 1678.24 1690.58 -0.73 Ho Chi Minh 1005.41 892.54 12.65 (Reporting by Rashmi Ashok in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreejay Sinha)