Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Monday led by energy shares on higher global oil prices and on optimism after federal investigators cleared Democrat Hillary Clinton in a probe related to her use of a private email server. Oil prices rose more than 1 percent, helped by a statement from the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries that it was committed to a deal made in September to cut output in order to prop up the market.
FBI Director James Comey told US Congress on Sunday that investigators had worked "around the clock" to complete a review of newly discovered emails and found no reason to change their July finding that Clinton was not guilty of criminal wrongdoing. Multiple polls showed Clinton maintaining a tenuous lead over Republican rival Donald Trump.
"The race for the White House has tightened in recent weeks and we expect uncertainties to linger until the election day," said Taye Shim, head of research at Daewoo Securities Indonesia. Thailand snapped three sessions of losses to end more than 1 percent higher, led by financials and energy stocks. Thailand's top energy firm PTT Pcl gained more than 2 percent, its highest in more than three weeks, while Siam Commercial Bank PCL was closed 2.5 percent higher.
Vietnam rose more than 1 percent, boosted by energy and financials, with Vietcombank up 3.6 percent and Petrovietnam Gas Jsc up 2.4 percent. Philippines cut losses earlier to close 0.4 percent lower, weighed down by financials and industrials. Bank of the Philippine Islands and conglomerate Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc fell 1.3 and 2.3 percent, respectively. Earlier in Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose about 0.9 pct.