The Stock Exchang of Thailand and Philippine indexes slumped, while other markets in Southeast Asia were cautious on Tuesday as investors weighed up a mixed bag of economic data out of China.
The SET main index was 11.64 points or 0.66% off to close at 1,755.53, in trade worth 54.73 billion baht. The biggest losers included CPL Plc, which fall 4.31% to 83.25 baht, and Siam Cement Group Plc, which dropped 1.23% to 482 baht.
Philippine shares closed 1.9% lower, marking a third consecutive session of losses.
There has been strong selling in the Philippines since late February, said Fio Dejesus, an analyst at Manila-based RCBC Securities.
Although consolidation began last month, investors still seem bearish, he said, adding the index might pick up from the 7,500 level.
The index has fallen 9.8% so far this year. Financials were among the biggest losers, with BDO Unibank Inc, SM Investments Corp and Bank of the Philippine Islands falling between 1.7% and 3.6%.
China's economy grew 6.8% in the first quarter of 2018 from a year earlier, official data showed, unchanged from the previous quarter. But separate data showed March industrial output missed expectations and first-quarter fixed-asset investment growth slowed, tempering equity market sentiment.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.5%.
In other Southeast Asian markets, Indonesian shares were little changed as losses in financials outweighed gains in energy stocks.
Bank Mandiri (Persero) Tbk PT fell 2.2%, but losses on the index were capped by a 4.4% gain in United Tractors Tbk PT.
Singapore shares closed marginally higher. Top lender Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd climbed 1% to a near-four-week high, while DBS Group Holdings Ltd closed up 0.6%, hitting its highest in nearly five weeks.
Malaysian shares clocked their eighth winning session in nine, ending up 0.1% after hitting their highest in three and a half years earlier.
Gains from lender CIMB Group Holdings Bhd and telecom company DiGi.Com Bhd kept the index afloat.
Vietnam shares closed up 0.4%.
Southeast Asian stock markets |
|
||
|
Current |
Previous |
% change |
Thailand |
1,755.53 |
1,767.17 |
-0.66 |
Indonesia |
6,285.76 |
6,286.74 |
-0.02 |
Malaysia |
1,880.49 |
1,878.76 |
+0.09 |
Philippines |
7,723.39 |
7,870.25 |
-1.87 |
Singapore |
3,498.20 |
3,497.19 |
+0.03 |
Vietnam |
1,153.28 |
1,148.49 |
+0.42 |