Most Southeast Asian stocks up

Stocks in Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines edged higher in subdued session on Friday, ending August with their first decline in two months as weak exports data kept market investors cautious about the global economic impact on domestic growth. For the month, Singapore's Straits Times Index fell 0.4 percent, easing after the previous two months' 9.3 percent rise. Jakarta's Composite Index lost 2 percent, halting a two-month gain for a combined 7.9 percent.
The Philippine index was down 2.1 percent in August, against a 4.2 gain in June and July. Volatile Vietnamese shares fared the worst in the month following last week's arrests of executives of Asia Commercial Bank that have worried investors over risks in the banking system. The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange's VN Index posted a monthly loss of 4.5 percent, its worst since May.