Southeast Asian stocks: Thai touches near 6-wk low; Malaysia,Siingapore,Vietnam up

BANGKOK: The key Thai stock index hit a near 6-week closing low on Tuesday as index heavyweight PTT  traded ex-dividend while the Philippine main index came off highs after Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT)  retreated after a weak earnings guidance.
    Thai benchmark SET index dropped 1.2 percent to
1,562.84, the lowest close since Jan. 22. PTT shares, the
biggest by market value, closed down 2.9 percent.
    Investors trimmed their risk holdings ahead of a market
holiday on Wednesday. Selling hit recent gainers such as
telecoms firm Jasmine International Pcl, among high
dividend yielding stocks. 
    The Philippine main index erased most of its early
gains to end 0.03 percent higher. 
    PLDT shares, the second biggest firm by value, edged down
0.06 percent after rising in early trade after it forecast 2015
net profit to fall for the third consecutive year.
 
    The Jakarta composite index eased 0.06 percent from
Monday's record closing high of 5,477.83. Large cap banks such
as Bank Mandiri and Bank Rakyat Indonesia 
fell amid selling by domestic investors, stock exchange data
showed.
    Stocks in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam
 rose amid early positive sentiment in Asia.
 
        
SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS
 Change on day
 Market             Current     Prev Close    Pct Move
 Singapore          3422.11       3403.89       +0.54
 Kuala Lumpur       1821.25       1817.13       +0.23
 Bangkok            1562.84       1582.14       -1.22
 Jakarta            5474.62       5477.83       -0.06
 Manila             7776.51       7773.92       +0.03
 Ho Chi Minh         596.72        590.73       +1.01
 
 Change on year
 Market             Current       End 2014    Pct Move
 Singapore          3422.11       3365.15       +1.69
 Kuala Lumpur       1821.25       1761.25       +3.41
 Bangkok            1562.84       1497.67       +4.35
 Jakarta            5474.62       5226.95       +4.74
 Manila             7776.51       7230.57       +7.55
 Ho Chi Minh         596.72        545.63       +9.36
 - Reuters