SE Asia Stocks-Thai index touches near 6-wk low ahead of market holiday

BANGKOK, March 3 (Reuters) - The key Thai stock index hit a

near 6-week closing low on Tuesday as index heavyweight PTT

traded ex-dividend while the Philippine main index came

off highs after Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT)

retreated after a weak earnings guidance.

Thai benchmark SET index dropped 1.2 percent to

1,562.84, the lowest close since Jan. 22. PTT shares, the

biggest by market value, closed down 2.9 percent.

Investors trimmed their risk holdings ahead of a market

holiday on Wednesday. Selling hit recent gainers such as

telecoms firm Jasmine International Pcl, among high

dividend yielding stocks.

The Philippine main index erased most of its early

gains to end 0.03 percent higher.

PLDT shares, the second biggest firm by value, edged down

0.06 percent after rising in early trade after it forecast 2015

net profit to fall for the third consecutive year.

The Jakarta composite index eased 0.06 percent from

Monday's record closing high of 5,477.83. Large cap banks such

as Bank Mandiri and Bank Rakyat Indonesia

fell amid selling by domestic investors, stock exchange data

showed.

Stocks in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam

rose amid early positive sentiment in Asia.

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS

Change on day

Market Current Prev Close Pct Move

Singapore 3422.11 3403.89 +0.54

Kuala Lumpur 1821.25 1817.13 +0.23

Bangkok 1562.84 1582.14 -1.22

Jakarta 5474.62 5477.83 -0.06

Manila 7776.51 7773.92 +0.03

Ho Chi Minh 596.72 590.73 +1.01

Change on year

Market Current End 2014 Pct Move

Singapore 3422.11 3365.15 +1.69

Kuala Lumpur 1821.25 1761.25 +3.41

Bangkok 1562.84 1497.67 +4.35

Jakarta 5474.62 5226.95 +4.74

Manila 7776.51 7230.57 +7.55

Ho Chi Minh 596.72 545.63 +9.36

(Reporting by Viparat Jantraprap; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)