Southeast Asian stock markets ended mostly higher on Monday amid broad-based buying in regional blue-chip stocks as comments by US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke renewed market hopes about stimulus support. Indonesia outperformed the region. Jakarta's Composite Index climbed 1.4 percent, with PT Astra International Tbk, a leading motorcycle dealer and a proxy of Indonesia's consumer sector, up 2.2 percent.
The Philippine Index edged up 0.4 percent at its highest close in more than two weeks. Thailand's main SET index finished up 0.8 percent at the highest close in more than a week.