Southeast Asia Stocks - Thai extend losses; S'pore, M'sia Indonesia closed

BANGKOK: Thai stocks rose on Friday as month-end buying lifted large caps such as PTT Pcl and Siam Cement Pcl, but trading volumes dropped due to holidays in the region and caution ahead of the Sunday election.
    The SET index finished up 0.8 percent, its first
gain in five sessions, led by index heavyweights such as PTT.
Shares in Siam Cement rose 1 percent after it reported
better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings. 
    In its latest strategy report, UBS Securities
(Thailand)recommended investors to accumulate stocks on any
weakness post elections.
    The benchmark fell for a third month in January, down 1.9
percent and taking its loss since November to around 12 percent,
the region's worst performer, hit by the prolonged domestic
political turmoil.
    Trading volumes on Friday almost halved the full-day average
over the past 30 sessions, with players wary of the political
risks and analysts said the Feb. 2 poll may not solve the
current deadlock.  
    All other Southeast Asian stock markets were closed on
Friday for the Lunar New Year holiday, including Singapore,
Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
 
SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS
 Change on day
 Market             Current     Prev Close    Pct Move
 TR SE Asia Index*   377.77        377.00       +0.20
 Bangkok            1274.28       1264.07       +0.81
 
 Change on year
 Market             Current       End 2013    Pct Move
 TR SE Asia Index*   377.77        388.37       -2.73
 Singapore             --         3167.43       -4.43
 Kuala Lumpur          --         1866.96       -3.37
 Bangkok            1274.28       1298.71       -1.88
 Jakarta               --         4274.18       +3.38
 Manila                --         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
 Bangkok             2,575,184            4,671,788
- Reuters