Southeast Asian stock markets ended range-bound on Friday following fresh signs of slowing Chinese growth, with lower crude oil prices dragging down energy shares across the region. Concern over a slowing Chinese economy, the second largest in the world, also weighed on sentiment, as factory growth in October dipped and investment growth hit a near 13-year low.
Thailand's SET index ended 0.1 percent weaker while Indonesia's Jakarta Composite Index ended steady. Malaysia's main index edged down 0.1 percent after official data showed the country's economy grew at its slowest pace this year during the third quarter. Teerada Charnyingyong, senior strategist at Bangkok-based broker Phillip Securities, said investors in Thailand were waiting for some catalysts to buy shares. "Investors will monitor economic indicators from Q3 (Thailand) GDP release next week given growing concerns about slower than expected recovery of the domestic economy. Foreign investors are heading for a holiday season and so domestic institutions will mainly dominate the market towards the end of the year."
Vietnam's benchmark VN Index extended its two-day falling streak as investors sold stocks following recent gains. The index fell 0.5 percent and underperformed the region. US crude hovered around four-year low, a day after suffering a 3.9 percent slump amid oversupply concerns. In Singapore, industrial conglomerate Keppel Corp Ltd and Sembcorp Industries Ltd fell 1.8 percent and 1.4 percent respectively on falling oil as concerns loomed over the possible adverse impact on their offshore arms. Thailand's top oil firm PTT and PTT Exploration and Production lost 1.3 percent and 1.4 percent respectively, weighing down the overall index. Bucking the trend, Singapore and the Philippines closed up 0.3 percent each. Indonesia saw net foreign outflow of $18.63 million, Thomson Reuters data showed, while Malaysia witnessed $12.00 million worth of net foreign buying on Friday.
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