* Singapore hits 3-week low, Thailand, Indonesia down
* Malaysia falls for a second day, Vietnam near 1-week low
* Philippines bucks trend; regional telecoms up
By Viparat Jantraprap
BANGKOK, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stocks
fell on Wednesday as investors, spooked by weak corporate
profit outlooks, sold financials and blue chips such as
Singapore's DBS, Indonesia's Bank Rakyat and Thailand's top oil
firm PTT.
Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index .FTSTI closed
down 1.59 percent to its lowest level since October 29, with
DBS Group (DBSM.SI), Southeast Asia's biggest bank, slipping
4.04 percent and OCBC (OCBC.SI) sliding 2.7 percent.
Indonesia's main stock index .JKSE drifted 0.8 percent
lower at the close after earlier touching 1,159.96 points, its
lowest since October 30 as the rupiah IDR= dipped to a fresh
7-year low against the dollar. [nTP334503]
Decliners were led by a 4.2 percent fall in Bank Rakyat
(BBRI.JK) and a 3.9 percent drop in Bank Mandiri (BMRI.JK).
In Bangkok, the main Thai index .SETI fell 2.7 percent to
its lowest point since October 31, dragged down by a 5.7
percent fall in PTT (PTT.BK), the country's biggest energy
firm, and a 4.9 percent fall in PTT Exploration PTTE.BK in
response to weaker crude prices. [O/R]
Profit taking hit telecom shares, with Total Access
Communication (TAC) DTAC.BK, the second largest mobile phone
operator, down 2.48 percent. Number one provider Advanced Info
Service (AIS) ADVA.BK ended unchanged.
DTAC had risen nearly 4.0 percent and AIS gained more than
2.0 percent in early trade on expectations that the sector
would grow despite a slowing economy. TAC (TACC.SI) ended
unchanged on the Singapore bourse after earlier rising more
than one percent.
"Telecom stocks remain defensive plays within the Thai
market where we believe premiums will be paid for strong and
sustainable free cash flows amid a weakening economy," broker
Citi Investment said in a research note.
Telecoms buying was rife in the region. Singapore Telecom
(STEL.SI) gained 1.68 percent and Telekom Indonesia (TLKM.JK)
closed up 0.9 percent.
In Manila, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co (TEL.PS),
the country's dominant telecom, surged 5.6 percent, which
helped the Philippine stock index .PSI to end 1.85 percent
higher, bucking the regional trend.
Malaysia's main stock index .KLSE fell for a second day,
down 0.62 percent, as palm plantation firm Sime Darby (SIME.KL)
lost 0.78 percent and IOI Corp (IOIB.KL) dipped 0.65 percent,
despite a 2.2 perecent rise in Malaysian palm oil futures.
[nKLR108037]
The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange .VNI in Vietnam fell for a
third day, dropping 1.12 percent to its lowest level since
November 13, led by a 9.4 percent fall in Nam Viet Corp
ANV.HM and a 5 percent decline in Licogi 16 Co LCG.HM.
"The market extended its losses on concerns about a heavy
sell-off by foreign investors and weak market liquidity," Le
Chi Phuc, Managing Director, Research and Investment Advisory
at VNDirect Securities Company.
($1=35.00 Baht)
(Editing by Darren Schuettler)
