SE Asia Stocks-Rise as quicker U.S. rate hike fears recede after jobs data

* Risk appetite returns after U.S. nonfarm payrolls data

* Singapore gains 1.6 pct, most in Southeast Asia

* Thailand ends higher for first time in nine sessions

By Aaron Saldanha

March 12 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets rose on

Monday, tracking Asian peers, after chances of the U.S. Federal

Reserve hiking interest rates four times this year dimmed

following data that showed jobs jumped and wage growth slowed in

February.

Inflation worries faded on Friday after U.S. data showed

nonfarm payrolls jumped by 313,000 jobs last month, but the

annual growth in average hourly earnings slowed to 2.6 percent

after a spike in January.

The slowdown in wage growth tempered speculation that the

Federal Reserve would project four rate hikes - or dot plots -

at its policy meeting next week, instead of the current three.

Asia shares ex-Japan climbed 1.3 percent,

heading for a third straight session of gains.

"I think the latest data points are positive for markets. We

are starting to see a move back to risky assets like equities,"

said Joel Ng, a research analyst at KGI Securities in Singapore.

"We are positive on equity markets... the earnings growth is

positive, dividends are rising. All these are contributing to

better prospects for equity markets in 2018."

In Southeast Asia, Singapore shares rose 1.6 percent

following a gain of 0.2 percent last week.

Conglomerate Jardine Matheson Holdings Ltd rose 3

percent, extending gains into a third session after results last

week showed profit jumped more than 50 percent.

"You can see that there is growth in most of its business

segments like Jardine Pacific and Jardine Motors," said KGI

Securities' Ng.

Malaysian shares rose 0.9 percent, with CIMB Group

Holdings Bhd contributing the most to the index's

gain.

The country's banks will continue to perform well in 2018,

Moody's said in a report on Monday.

Philippine shares climbed 1 percent after ending the

previous week about 1 percent lower.

Ayala Corp rose 1.2 percent after reporting a jump

of more than 16 percent in net income attributable for 2017.

Thai shares closed higher for the first time in nine

sessions as financials and energy stocks gained. PTT Pcl

rose 4.5 percent, while Siam Cement PCL gained

2.4 percent.

Indonesian shares climbed over 1 percent, helped by

financials and consumer discretionary stocks. Bank Central Asia

rose 1.4 percent and was the top contributor to the

index.

For Asian Companies click;

SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS: CHANGE ON DAY

Market Current Previous close Pct Move

Singapore 3540.19 3485.57 1.57

Bangkok 1800.32 1775.37 1.41

Manila 8453.5 8372.51 0.97

Jakarta 6500.686 6433.322 1.05

Kuala Lumpur 1861.22 1843.92 0.94

Ho Chi Minh 1126.29 1123.41 0.26

Change on year

Market Current End 2017 Pct Move

Singapore 3540.19 3402.92 4.03

Bangkok 1800.32 1753.71 2.66

Manila 8453.5 8558.42 -1.23

Jakarta 6500.686 6355.654 2.28

Kuala Lumpur 1861.22 1796.81 3.58

Ho Chi Minh 1126.29 984.24 14.43

(Reporting by Aaron Saldanha in Bengaluru; Editing by

Subhranshu Sahu)