SE Asia Stocks-Most tepid; Singapore hits 3-week high on trade optimism

* Financials are biggest boost on Singapore markets

* Philippines loses most in the region

* Malaysian investors await country's Q4 GDP figures

By Anushka Trivedi

Feb 13 (Reuters) - Singapore stocks climbed in line with

Asian peers on Wednesday, lifted by the possibility that

Washington and Beijing might reach an agreement in trade talks,

while other regional markets flitted in a flat-to-lower range

after paring early gains.

Ahead of the high-level talks due in Beijing this week, U.S.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he could let the March 1

deadline "slide for a little while", although he said he was not

inclined to doing so.

Trump's comments prompted a rally in Wall Street and Asian

markets, most of whom have high trade exposure with China.

Tracking Asian peers, Singapore markets traded 1.1

percent higher to a three-week peak. Financials were the biggest

boost, with lender DBS Group scaling as much as 2

percent.

"Taking the cue from Wall Street's overnight gains, STI may

see support at 3,200 and resistance at 3,230," OCBC said in a

note.

Philippine markets shed early gains to drop about 1

percent, extending their declines to a fourth session. The

index, which has outperformed its peers so far in 2019,

experienced some easing after it touched an 11-month high last

week.

Industrial and financial stocks dragged the Philippine stock

index lower, with conglomerate JG Summit Holdings

slipping as much as 3.5 percent, while Security Bank Corp

tumbled up to 3.7 percent.

Malaysian shares traded flat ahead of the country's

fourth-quarter GDP figures release on Thursday.

Telecommunication stocks were the top drag on the country's

main index as teleco Axiata Group Bhd skid as much as

1.5 percent.

Malaysia's economy probably grew faster in the fourth

quarter with exports and private consumption helping to snap

four quarters of slowing growth, a Reuters poll showed.

However, global trade headwinds are expected to have an

adverse impact on Malaysia, which is among the largest exporters

of palm oil.

Meanwhile, Thailand shares rose 0.4 percent, while

the Vietnam index traded flat.

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS AS AT 0412 GMT

STOCK MARKETS

Change on the day

Market Current Previous close Pct Move

Singapore 3235.2 3201.15 1.06

Bangkok 1650.1 1642.49 0.46

Manila 7913.71 8009.92 -1.20

Jakarta 6443.138 6426.325 0.26

Kuala Lumpur 1685.98 1687.41 -0.08

Ho Chi Minh 939.56 937.54 0.22

Change on year

Market Current End 2018 Pct Move

Singapore 3235.2 3068.76 5.42

Bangkok 1650.1 1563.88 5.51

Manila 7913.71 7466.02 6.00

Jakarta 6443.138 6194.498 4.01

Kuala Lumpur 1685.98 1690.58 -0.27

Ho Chi Minh 939.56 892.54 5.27

(Reporting by Anushka Trivedi in Bengaluru, Editing by Sherry

Jacob-Phillips)