SE Asia Stocks-Most rise on China stimulus hopes

* Singapore leads gains in region with 1.2 pct jump

* Indonesia shrugs off wider-than-expected trade gap

By Shreya Mariam Job

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets

recovered on Tuesday, with Singapore hitting a near

three-and-a-half-month closing high, after China signalled more

stimulus to prop up its slowing economy.

China's state planner said Beijing would strengthen

monitoring of its economic situation and improve its "reserve"

of economic policies, a day after the world's second-biggest

economy released December trade data that showed the country had

been hit hard by a tariff war with the United States.

The markets rebounded due to the prospect of China loosening

its monetary policy and fiscal spending, said Liu Jinshu,

director of research at NRA Capital.

"The rebound is stronger as shorts were reversed given

yesterday's failure to trigger steeper declines," he added.

Singapore shares rose 1.2 percent, marking their

seventh session of gains in eight, helped by financials and

industrials.

CapitaLand Ltd climbed 3.3 percent to its highest

close since Oct. 4, 2018 after the company said on Monday it

would buy logistics and industrial assets from state investor

Temasek for a consideration of S$6 billion ($4.44 billion).

Indonesian shares closed 1.2 percent higher,

shrugging off a wider-than-expected December trade deficit.

Trade deficit narrowed in December, but it was wider than

market expectations due to a fall in exports, data showed.

Exports fell 4.62 percent last month, compared to a 1.81 percent

rise predicted by a Reuters poll.

Meanwhile, a Reuters survey of 20 economists predict that

Bank Indonesia will maintain its reverse repurchase rate at 6

percent at its first policy meeting of the new year on Thursday.

Vietnam shares rose 0.9 percent, buoyed by real

estate and financial stocks. Vinhomes JSC firmed 3.4

percent, while Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and

Development of Vietnam rose 1.9 percent.

Thai shares fell 0.4 percent, dragged by industrial

and energy stocks. Airports of Thailand Pcl shed 2.6

percent, while PTT Pcl dipped 1 percent.

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS

Change on the day

Market Current Previous close Pct Move

Singapore 3212.3 3173.46 1.22

Bangkok 1577 1582.57 -0.35

Manila 8013.42 8024.14 -0.13

Jakarta 6408.784 6336.116 1.15

Kuala Lumpur 1679.42 1676.16 0.19

Ho Chi Minh 909.68 901.8 0.87

Change so far in 2019

Market Current End 2018 Pct Move

Singapore 3212.3 3068.76 4.68

Bangkok 1577 1563.88 0.84

Manila 8013.42 7,466.02 7.33

Jakarta 6408.784 6,194.50 3.46

Kuala Lumpur 1679.42 1690.58 -0.66

Ho Chi Minh 909.68 892.54 1.92

($1 = 1.3515 Singapore dollars)

(Reporting by Shreya Mariam Job in Bengaluru; Editing by

Subhranshu Sahu)