STOCKS NEWS ASEAN-Malaysia attracts most inflows in past week

Foreign investors continued to favour Malaysian stocks last
week when the U.S. Dow Jones average hit a record high,
boosting appetite for risk assets globally.
Malaysia's bourse took in $361 million in net foreign
purchases in the week ended March 8, more than any of its
Southeast Asian rivals, stock exchange data showed.
It posted a net $1.8 billion in inflows in the year-to-date,
trailing Indonesia's $2.1 billion but ahead of others.
Kuala Lumpur's Composite Index has fallen 2.2
percent so far in 2013, Asia's worst performer. Domestic
investors were net sellers of the market due to caution ahead of
a general election due to be held by mid-year.
Citi Research analysts wrote in a note dated March 8 that
market reaction to the upcoming election was likely to be less
severe than in the general election in 2008, when the market
fell on the first day post election.
"Year-to-date, Malaysia is the worst-performing equities
market in Asia Pacific ex Japan, suggesting pricing-in of
election risks ... The market could remain listless in the
short-term as investors await clarity on political leadership,"
the broker said.

Net foreign buying (or selling, in brackets)
(Millions of US dollars)
1 week MTD* FEB YTD* 2012
Malaysia 361 423 585 1,828 n/a
Thailand 71 179 (583) 95 2,506
Indonesia 95 316 1,161 2,075 1,639
Philippines 246 252 146 1,221 2,693
Vietnam 8 23 (4) 139 151
* MTD = month to date, YTD = year to date

Source - Thomson Reuters, stock exchanges
Singapore data is not available

(Reporting by Viparat Jantraprap in Bangkok; Editing by Alan
Raybould and Jijo Jacob)