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SE Asia Stocks-Trade in tight range amid cloudy Fed outlook

* U.S. Fed cuts interest rates as expected * Indonesia slips ahead of central bank meet * Malaysia on track to fall for a second session By Anushka Trivedi Sept 19 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets traded in a tight range on Thursday, as investors laid off heavy bets after the U.S. Federal Reserve delivered an expected rate cut but provided limited insight on its next move. Fed Chair Jerome Powell described the U.S. economic outlook as "favorable," and said the policy easing was meant to insure against ongoing risks including sluggish global growth and ongoing trade tensions. The Fed's cautious stance will be of little help to Asian policymakers who are weighing additional measures. Indonesia's central bank is set to meet later in the day and the Philippines the week after, while Fed's cloudy outlook offers less room for them to ease their respective rates, giving them fewer tools to tackle their cooling economies. "Should Fed officials continue conveying mixed policy outlook to global investors, that could trigger bouts of volatility as markets contend with the uncertain projections surrounding U.S. interest rates," Han Tan, market analyst at brokerage FXTM said in a note. Indonesian shares traded a tad lower ahead of the central bank policy decision as financials strained the benchmark. Bank Indonesia is largely expected to slash rates, according to a Reuters poll, with government officials stating the policy would be aimed at supporting Indonesia's GDP expansion in light of a global economic slowdown. Lenders Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk PT and Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk PT dropped 0.7% and 1.4%, respectively. The Thai bourse touched a two-week low as local energy players came under pressure from an overnight tumble in oil prices. Top oil producer PTT PCL slipped 1.1% after scaling 3.2% in the previous session. The Malaysian benchmark index was poised to close lower for a second session, dented by consumer and telecom sectors. A dip in palm oil prices hurt producers of the commodity such as Sime Darby Plantation Bhd and IOI Corp Bhd , while telco Digi.com Bhd dropped 1.5%. Singapore shares and the Philippine index were largely unchanged. For Asian Companies click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS as at 0352 GMT Change on the day Market Current Previous close Pct Move Singapore 3163.79 3166.84 -0.10 Bangkok 1647.7 1654.14 -0.39 Manila 7913.91 7915.29 -0.02 Jakarta 6247.918 6276.633 -0.46 Kuala Lumpur 1594.73 1599.49 -0.30 Ho Chi Minh 993.85 995.15 -0.13 Change so far in 2019 Market Current End 2018 Pct Move Singapore 3163.79 3068.76 3.10 Bangkok 1647.7 1563.88 5.36 Manila 7913.91 7,466.02 6.00 Jakarta 6247.918 6,194.50 0.86 Kuala Lumpur 1594.73 1690.58 -5.67 Ho Chi Minh 993.85 892.54 11.35 (Reporting by Anushka Trivedi in Bengaluru, Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)