Southeast Asian stocks were mostly lower on Thursday, in line with weakness in other Asian markets, with Singapore led down by cyclical commodity firms such as Noble Group Ltd and Indonesia falling further from a recent record peak. Singapore's Straits Times Index fell 0.4 percent to its lowest close since September 11. Jakarta's Composite Index extended its losses for a second session, down 0.3 percent and pulling off the 4,364.60 record finish on October 30.
PT Astra International Tbk, Indonesia's biggest listed company, lost 1.9 percent after it reported higher quarterly profits, but said falling commodity prices could hurt future earnings. Across the region, investors seeking growth showed a preference for construction-related stocks that could benefit from infrastructure spending by local governments.
Among the actively traded, Thailand's cement firm Siam Cement Pcl gained 4 percent to an all-time closing high of 389 baht and Indonesia's Inducement Tunggal Prakarsa rose 3.5 percent to a record close of 22,150 rupiah. Bucking the trend, Malaysia's index recouped earlier losses, ticking up 0.16 percent at 1,675.69, its new all-time closing high.