SE Asia Stocks-Most slip as Syria conflict worries dampen sentiment
* Threat of U.S. military action in Syria weighs on markets
* Asian shares ex-Japan fall 0.5 pct, Wall Street ends lower
* Indonesian shares decline after 3 sessions of gains
By Nicole Pinto
April 12 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets
eased on Thursday as worries of potential U.S. military action
in Syria soured risk appetite.
Broader Asian shares fell after Wall Street fell overnight
as U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia on Wednesday of
imminent military action in Syria over a suspected poison gas
attack, raising the prospect of direct conflict over Syria
between the two world powers backing opposing sides in the
seven-year-old civil war.
Tensions in the Middle East intensified as Saudi Arabia said
its air defence forces intercepted three ballistic missiles
fired at Riyadh and other cities by Yemen's Houthis.
"The markets in Asia are caught between forward-looking
positive from China economic growth and current risk aversion
due to Middle East tensions," said Stephen Innes, head of
trading for Asia-Pacific at Oanda.
Singapore shares shed 0.2 percent, with Singapore
Telecommunications Ltd dropping 1.5 percent.
Singapore's central bank is expected to tighten monetary
policy in April for the first time in six years, with economic
growth seen solid enough to shift away from a stance associated
with periods of acute weakness.
The central bank's semiannual monetary policy statement and
data on first-quarter gross domestic product are due on Friday.
Vietnam shares extended losses, dropping 1.2 percent
to an over two-week low, after having shed 2.6 percent in the
previous session.
FLC Faros Construction JSC slumped 6.7 percent to
its lowest since Aug. 28.
Indonesian shares fell 0.9 percent, after three
sessions of gains. Unilever Indonesia Tbk PT shed as
much as 1.8 percent, while Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Persero)
Tbk Perusahaan Perseroan PT fell 2.3 percent.
Meanwhile, Philippine shares rose 0.5 percent, led by
gains in the real estate and telecom sectors. SM Prime Holdings
Inc climbed 1.8 percent, while PLDT Inc rose
2.4 percent.
For Asian Companies click;
SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS: Change as at 0421 GMT
Current Previous Close Pct Move
Singapore 3472.14 3479.76 -0.22
Bangkok 1760.97 1763.22 -0.13
Manila 7976.77 7943.93 0.41
Jakarta 6302.858 6360.932 -0.91
Kuala Lumpur 1867.13 1869.89 -0.15
Ho Chi Minh 1163.91 1167.11 -0.27
Change on year
Market Current End 2017 Pct Move
Singapore 3472.14 3402.92 2.03
Bangkok 1760.97 1753.71 0.41
Manila 7976.77 8558.42 -6.80
Jakarta 6302.858 6355.654 -0.83
Kuala Lumpur 1867.13 1796.81 3.91
Ho Chi Minh 1163.91 984.24 18.25
(Reporting by Nicole Pinto, additional reporting by Christina
Martin; Editing by Amrutha Gayathri)
