* 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)
