Southeast Asia stocks mostly weak S'pore at 5-month low, M'sia up

BANGKOK: Singapore shares hit five-month lows on Thursday, posting their biggest monthly drop since
August, with most others in Southeast Asia slipping amid renewed risk aversion after the U.S. Federal Reserve further scaled back its stimulus.
    The benchmark Straits Times Index ended down 0.7
percent at 3,027.22, the lowest level since Sept. 4. It posted a
4.4 percent fall in January.
    Stock markets in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the
Philippines will be closed for the Lunar New Year holiday on
Friday.
    Foreign-led selling sent Philippine shares down 0.5
percent on the day, trimming their monthly gains to 2.6 percent.
The Philippines bourse said foreign investors sold a net 909
million peso ($20.1 million) worth of shares on Thursday.
    In Bangkok, the SET index fell for a fourth session,
down 0.6 percent in low volumes on worries that the election on
Sunday could turn violent. The index closed at 1,264.07, the
lowest since Jan. 10.
    Thai army will increase the number of troops in the capital
ahead of Sunday's election as the government warned it might not
be able to contain violence if anti-government protesters try to
stop people voting. 
    
SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS
 Change on day
 Market             Current     Prev Close    Pct Move
 TR SE Asia Index*   377.03        378.78       -0.46
 Singapore          3027.22       3047.93       -0.68
 Kuala Lumpur       1804.03       1789.23       +0.83
 Bangkok            1264.07       1271.42       -0.58
 Jakarta            4418.76       4417.35       +0.03
 Manila             6041.19       6069.84       -0.47
 
 Change on year
 Market             Current       End 2013    Pct Move
 TR SE Asia Index*   377.03        388.37       -2.92
 Singapore          3027.22       3167.43       -4.43
 Kuala Lumpur       1804.03       1866.96       -3.37
 Bangkok            1264.07       1298.71       -2.67
 Jakarta            4418.76       4274.18       +3.38
 Manila             6041.19       5889.83       +2.57
 Ho Chi Minh           --          504.63      +10.28
 
* The Thomson Reuters South East Asia Index               is a
highly representative indicator of stocks listed in Indonesia,
Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
    
 Stock Market Volume (shares)
 Market          Current Volume    Average Volume 30 days
 Singapore         223,179,400          168,054,623      
 Kuala Lumpur      120,999,200          114,574,317      
 
 Bangkok             3,494,373            4,706,282      
 Jakarta         2,622,185,500        2,840,860,367    
 Manila                 70,564               72,528
- Reuters