SE Asia Stocks-Rise on robust China trade data; Philippines leads

By Nikhil Nainan

Dec 8 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets rose on

Friday, led by Philippines, on the back of robust economic data

from China and Japan, and the United States' quick move to avert

a government shutdown over the weekend.

Beijing reported exports surged 12.3 percent in November

from a year earlier and imports climbed 17.7 percent, surpassing

all forecasts and easing concerns of a slowdown in the world's

second-biggest economy, while latest data showed Japan's economy

growing twice as fast as first thought as business spending

jumped.

The U.S. Congress moved rapidly on Thursday to send

President Donald Trump a short-term funding bill to avert a

government shutdown this weekend, leaving fights over budget

priorities and a range of other controversial issues for the

coming weeks.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan

climbed 0.8 percent ahead of U.S. jobs data

later in the day.

Philippine shares climbed 1.6 percent in their

biggest single-day rise in a month, on the back of strong gains

in financials and industrials. They ended the week 2 percent

higher, their biggest since early May.

Ayala Corp rose 3 percent on Friday, JG Summit

Holdings Inc climbed 3.7 percent, while Universal

Robina Corp jumped 5.9 percent.

Singapore stocks climbed more than 1 percent,

rebounding from four consecutive sessions of declines, but ended

the week 0.7 percent lower.

Financials accounted for most of the gains on Friday, with

top lenders DBS Group Holdings, Oversea-Chinese

Banking Corp and United Overseas Bank rising

between 1 percent and 2.5 percent.

Indonesian shares rose for a fourth session in five,

supported by gains in financials, with Bank Negara Indonesia

(Persero) Tbk PT climbing 3.8 percent.

Ratings agency Fitch said on Thursday growth in Indonesia

was expected to pick up sharply in 2018 with the help of a

brighter investment climate and stabilisation of commodity

prices.

However, Nomura Indonesia analyst Elvira Tjandrawinata said,

"we are neutral on Indonesia for 2018… valuation at this point

is still extended, it's close to peak. So it doesn't really

price in the earnings disappointment or some political risk that

could come from the election in 2018."

The market climbed 1.3 percent this week in its third weekly

gain in four.

For Asian Companies click;

SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS: CHANGE ON THE DAY

Market Current Previous close Pct Move

Singapore 3424.64 3388.14 1.08

Bangkok 1706.52 1703.37 0.18

Manila 8304.7 8174.93 1.59

Jakarta 6030.958 6006.835 0.40

Kuala Lumpur 1721.25 1719.05 0.13

Ho Chi Minh 940.16 938.65 0.16

Change so far this year

Market Current End 2016 Pct Move

Singapore 3424.64 2880.76 18.88

Bangkok 1706.52 1542.94 10.60

Manila 8304.7 6840.64 21.40

Jakarta 6030.958 5296.711 13.86

Kuala Lumpur 1721.25 1641.73 4.84

Ho Chi Minh 940.16 664.87 41.41

(Reporting by Nikhil Kurian Nainan in Bengaluru; Editing by

Subhranshu Sahu)