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SE Asia Stocks-Most slip on caution amid volatile global markets

* Asian shares ex-Japan slip 0.1 pct

* Wall Street ends lower overnight

* Singapore on track for 5th losing session

By Nikhil Nainan

Feb 8 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets edged

lower on Thursday, signalling caution, as Wall Street's early

gains overnight fizzled out, leaving investors wary of further

volatility in the global markets.

U.S. stocks ended lower on Wednesday as bond yields climbed

higher, and the threat of rising inflation kept investors on

edge over the prospect of more interest rates hikes.

In Asia trade, the S&P e-mini futures slid 0.3

percent, suggesting the likelihood of another uncertain session

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on Wall Street, while MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific

shares outside Japan slipped 0.1 percent.

Singapore shares gave up early gains of as much as

1.1 percent and turned marginally lower, on course for a fifth

consecutive session of losses.

Lender DBS Group Holdings soared as much as 5

percent after it posted a 33 percent rise in its quarterly

profit and said an improving interest rate environment would

lift net interest margins for the year.

Singapore Telecommunications fell as much as 2

percent to its lowest in over two years, after it posted a 8.5

percent drop in quarterly profit.

Philippine shares retreated as much as much 0.8

percent, as investors remained watchful of the outcome of the

country's central bank meet.

"I think what also added to the movement today is that

investors are a bit cautious with the bank meeting today, with

the likelihood that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) might

raise rates following the inflation figure in January," said

Lexter Azurin, a senior equity analyst at AB Capital.

Philippine annual inflation accelerated much faster than

expected in January, data showed on Tuesday, although BSP

Governor Nestor Espenilla maintained that the factors driving

inflation are "temporary" and "would eventually stabilise."

Majority of the analysts polled by Reuters said they

expected no change in rates on Thursday, while

Mizuho Bank said in a note it expected a preemptive 25 basis

points raise to promptly anchor inflation.

Index heavyweights SM Investments Corp and Universal

Robina Corp dragged the index lower, falling as much as

1.2 percent and 2.3 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, Malaysian shares remained largely steady,

up as much as 0.2 percent, with telecom stocks leading the

gains.

Axiata Group Bhd and DiGi.Com Bhd were

the top gainers on the index, rising as much as 2 percent and

1.2 percent, respectively.

Vietnam shares fell as much as 1.3 percent, set for a

third losing session in four.

Vietnam posted a trade surplus of $181 million in January,

contrary to a government estimate which predicted a $300 million

deficit, the customs department said on Thursday.

For Asian Companies click;

SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS

Change as at 0447 GMT

Market Current Previous close Pct Move

Singapore 3381.26 3383.77 -0.07

Bangkok 1791.02 1785.44 0.31

Manila 8620.4 8667.56 -0.54

Jakarta 6529.639 6534.869 -0.08

Kuala Lumpur 1839.74 1836.68 0.17

Ho Chi Minh 1027.82 1040.55 -1.22

Change on year

Market Current End 2017 Pct Move

Singapore 3381.26 3402.92 -0.64

Bangkok 1791.02 1753.71 2.13

Manila 8620.4 8558.42 0.72

Jakarta 6529.639 6355.654 2.74

Kuala Lumpur 1839.74 1796.81 2.39

Ho Chi Minh 1027.82 984.24 4.43

(Reporting by Nikhil Kurian Nainan in Bengaluru; Editing by

Amrutha Gayathri)