SE Asia Stocks-Most shares tepid as China slowdown woes weigh
* China exports in Nov shrank for fourth straight month * Thailand set for ninth straight session of falls * Singapore, Indonesia little changed By Arundhati Dutta Dec 9 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian markets were subdued on Monday as weak export data from China, the region's biggest trading partner, signalled weakness for the broader Asian economy, offsetting positive Wall Street clues following solid U.S. jobs print. Investor sentiment was hit after data projected that China exports in November shrank for the fourth straight month, implying that the trade war with the United States was taking a toll on the world's second-largest economy. Asian peers caught some of Wall Street's momentum after data showed that U.S. job growth increased by the most in 10 months in November. Investors remained on guard amid uncertainty over the Sino-U.S. trade negotiations, aimed at easing a 17-month-long war, with U.S. President Donald Trump tasked with deciding whether to hold off on a new set of tariffs against Chinese goods, which is set to kick-in on Dec. 15. "Trade war is still the biggest concern and source of uncertainty globally as the U.S and China have not finalized their phase one trade deal mainly due to disagreement of existing tariffs," MIDF Research said in a note. Malaysian stocks are set to snap two previous sessions of gains, dragged by power utility Tenaga Nasional and telecom Axiata Group. The Thai index started the week on the back foot, with industrials being the biggest drag as Airports of Thailand marked its lowest level in more than two months. The Philippine index inched lower, with conglomerates SM Investments Corp and Ayala Land losing 0.8% and 0.4%, respectively. The Indonesian benchmark traded subdued as losses in telecom stocks offset modest gains in the consumer sector. Telekomunikasi Indonesia fell nearly 0.3%, while cigarette maker Gudang Garam gained up to 1.4%. Vietnamese shares edged a tick higher, with the country's largest brewer Sabeco, formally known as Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp, climbing as much as 1.5%. Singapore stocks were little changed. For Asian Companies click SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS AS AT 0452 GMT STOCK MARKETS Change on the day Market Current Previous close Pct Move Singapore 3192.18 3194.71 -0.08 Bangkok 1551.74 1558.99 -0.47 Manila 7800.57 7801.72 -0.01 Jakarta 6197.311 6186.868 0.17 Kuala Lumpur 1564.5 1568.44 -0.25 Ho Chi Minh 967.28 963.56 0.39 Change so far in 2019 Market Current End 2018 Pct Move Singapore 3192.18 3068.76 4.02 Bangkok 1551.74 1563.88 -0.78 Manila 7800.57 7,466.02 4.48 Jakarta 6197.311 6,194.50 0.05 Kuala Lumpur 1564.5 1690.58 -7.46 Ho Chi Minh 967.28 892.54 8.37 (Reporting by Arundhati Dutta; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
