SE Asia Stocks: Most up; S’pore at year high; Malaysia all time high
BANGKOK, Aug 14 – Most Southeast Asian stock markets ended higher today buoyed by strength in large-cap banks and commodities-related stocks such as Singapore’s Noble Group Ltd, sending the index to a one-year closing high.
The Singapore Straits Times Index was up 0.75 per cent at 3,087.84, with shares in commodities firm Noble surging 12 per cent after it reported a 39.3 per cent rise in its April-June net profit.
In Bangkok, the SET index extended its gain for a sixth session, adding 0.6 per cent to 1,226.82, its highest close in more than three months.
Top lender Bangkok Bank Pcl rose 3.1 per cent to 203 baht, its highest level seen since late 1996 amid good buying interest in banks seen as a beneficiary of a growth in domestic economy.
Elsewhere, Malaysia’s main index rose for a fifth session, ending up 0.4 per cent at a record closing high of 1,652.90. Indonesia gained 0.5 per cent, reversing yesterday’s 0.9 per cent fall.
Vietnam advanced 0.8 per cent to the highest close in almost two months. Bucking the trend, the Philippines eased 0.1 per cent, halting a two-day rising streak. – Reuters
