SE Asia Stocks-Mixed, financials outperform
* S'pore a little lower, led by big caps such as SingTel
* Banking shares outperform in the region
* Indonesia, Philippines fall despie rate cut expectations
By Viparat Jantraprap
BANGKOK, June 29 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets ended mixed on Monday, with losses in big caps such as SingTel weighing on Singapore but the Thai index outperforming thanks to gains in banking shares.
Energy shares in the region fell after last week's rally,
with Thai PTT Exploration and Production PTTE.BK down 0.4
percent and Malaysia's Tenaga Nasional (TENA.KL) off 0.7
percent.
"Buying interest in this region is slowing. There's still no fresh market boost and sentiment is still cautious," said Kosin Sripaiboon, head of research at UOB Kay Hian Securities.
Asian stock markets elsewhere retreated on Monday, with the MSCI index of Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan .MIAPJ0000PUS down 0.5 percent by 1005 GMT.
Singapore's index .FTSTI inched down 0.03 percent, with Singapore Telecommunications (STEL.SI) sliding 1.3 percent, after four days of gains, and CapitaLand (CATL.SI) fell 0.53 percent.
Banking shares bucked the trend, with DBS Group Holdings (DBSM.SI) up 1.4 percent, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp (OCBC.SI) up 0.15 percent and United Overseas Bank (UOBH.SI) up 0.4 percent.
Malaysia .KLSE ended flat, but Maybank (MBBM.KL) rose 0.9 percent and Public Bank (PUBM.KL) 1.1 percent.
However, TA Investment Management said the outlook for Malaysian banking stocks remained murky because there was no clear sign yet that the economy would bounce back in the fourth quarter as many have hoped.
The Thai index .SETI climbed 1 percent ahead of economic data on Tuesday, helped by the fact that an anti-government rally by supporters of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra ended without trouble at the weekend.
Investors bought shares in sectors seen as beneficiaries of the government's planned spending on stimulus measures, including banking and building shares, with Bangkok Bank BBL.BK up 1 percent and Siam Cement SCC.BK up 4.3 percent.
Indonesia .JKSE eased 0.3 percent while Manila .PSI drifted down 0.4 percent, even though their central banks could decide to cut interest rates at meetings in July.
In Jakarta, cigarette maker Gudang Garam (GGRM.JK) jumped 6.9 percent and Bank Danamon (BDMN.JK) climbed 2.2 percent. In Manila, Philippine Long Distance Telephone (TEL.PS) was up 0.4 percent and Metropolitan Bank & Trust (MBT.PS) up 1.6 percent.
The main index in Vietnam .VNI fell 0.21 percent, losing part of a 1.7 percent gain on Friday, with Petrovietnam Fertilizer and Chemicals Company DPM.HM 3.1 percent lower and Pha Lai Thermal Power PPC.HM down 3.2 percent. ($1 = 34.01 Baht) (Editing by Alan Raybould)
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