ASEAN: Business – Singapore stocks outperform SE Asian peers

Shoppers take selfies in front of a Louis Vuitton shop in Singapore. The Singapore stock market led all Southeast Asian shares on Friday. (Reuters photo)

.

.

Singapore shares touched a two-and-half-year closing high on Friday, as industrial output in October climbed for a fifteenth straight month, while Philippine and Vietnam stocks reversed losses from earlier in the day to end higher.

The Singapore stock index closed up 0.6%, boosted by data showing the city-state’s industrial production rose 14.6%, driven by a continued surge in electronics output. In September, output was up 14.4%.

The index added 1.8% on week, its best week since early October.

Financials and consumer stocks led the gainers, with DBS Group Holdings up 1.5% and Thai Beverage climbing 3.2%.

Most Southeast Asian stock markets lost ground in the morning session on weak sentiment from Chinese share markets, which fell on concerns about fresh government steps to curb financial risk.

Philippine shares recovered from up to 1% losses earlier in the session to end 0.3% higher, with Ayala Land up 3.7% and SM Investments Corp rising 1.1%.

The index gained 0.7% on week.

The turnaround in the Philippine index is “in anticipation that the Senate version of the tax reform bill will be passed tonight or within the next couple of days,” said Manny Cruz, an analyst at the Manila-based Asiasec Equities Inc. “So, that has inspired some buying appetite in the market.”

The Philippine tax reform bill is aimed at generating revenue to fund a multi-billion dollar infrastructure programme, critical to President Rodrigo Duterte’s economic agenda.

Vietnam closed at a near 10-year high, posting weekly gains of 5%, the best week since July 2015.

Beer companies Saigon Beer Alcohol Beverage Corp and Hanoi Beer Alcohol and Beverage Joint Stock company gained 3.6% and 3.2%, respectively.

Malaysian shares, however, closed at their lowest in more than eight months.

Courtesy: Bangkok Post | WRITER: REUTERS | 24 Nov 2017 at 17:57

.

NOTE : All photographs, news, editorials, opinions, information, data, others have been taken from the Internet ..aseanews.net | [email protected] |

For comments, Email to : Pahulu Gan – Contributor | [email protected]

It's only fair to share...