SE Asia Stocks-Philippines jumps ahead of inflation data, Singapore slides

* Shares in Singapore and Vietnam edge down

* Philippine stocks top gainer in region

* Expect Philippine Dec inflation slow to 6-month low- Poll

By Rashmi Ashok

Jan 3 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian shares climbed on

Thursday, with Philippine markets leading gains ahead of the

release of inflation figures, while Singaporean stocks bucked

the trend to fall sharply.

Philippine stocks gained 1.04 percent, as industrial

shares SM Investments Corp and JG Summit Holdings Inc

propelled the index.

A Reuters poll shows that the country's inflation is

expected to cool to a six-month low in December, making it

likely the Philippine central bank will leave policy rates

unchanged this year.

"The investors were mainly concerned about inflation during

2018," said Rachelle Cruz an analyst at AP Securities in Manila.

"So now we're seeing some buying in the index stocks as there's

better expectation on earnings growth now, since that concern

seems to be fading," Cruz said.

Local investors appeared to be buying more because some

Philippine companies have reached "very attractive valuations,"

she added.

A surge in consumer goods stocks powered a 0.4 percent

advance in Indonesian shares.

Shares in Malaysia and Thailand also rose,

by 0.56 percent and 0.71 percent respectively.

In Kuala Lumpur tourist resort chain Genting Malaysia Berhad

added 2.7 percent and palm oil producer Sime Darby

Plantation Berhad rose 3.3 percent, while in Bangkok

energy stocks provided the biggest boost to the benchmark.

Meanwhile, Singaporean shares edged 0.81 percent

lower, with Thai Beverage PCL dropping 3.3 percent and

industrial conglomerate Jardine Strategic Holdings Ltd

losing 1.4 percent.

Vietnamese stocks also shed just above 0.8 percent,

with most major sectors in the red. Real-estate stocks like

Vinhomes JSC and Vingroup JSC, which powered a

rally on Wednesday, fell around 2 percent apiece.

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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS at 0315 GMT

Change on the day

Market Current Previous close Pct Move

Singapore 3018.83 3038.89 -0.66

Bangkok 1572.84 1565.94 0.44

Manila 7567.08 7489.2 1.04

Jakarta 6207.12 6181.175 0.42

Kuala Lumpur 1678.01 1668.11 0.59

Ho Chi Minh 884.05 891.75 -0.86

Change so far in 2019

Market Current End 2018 Pct Move

Singapore 3018.83 3068.76 -1.63

Bangkok 1572.84 1563.88 0.57

Manila 7567.08 7,466.02 1.35

Jakarta 6207.12 6,194.50 0.20

Kuala Lumpur 1678.01 1690.58 -0.74

Ho Chi Minh 884.05 892.54 -0.95

(Reporting by Rashmi Ashok in Bengaluru; Editing by Sai Sachin

Ravikumar)