* WHO says not declaring China virus a global emergency
* Resources, utility stocks weigh on Malaysia
* Week-long Lunar New Year holiday starts
By Soumyajit Saha
Jan 24 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets traded in a
tight range on Friday as fears of rapid spread of a flu-like
virus outbreak in China kept investors on guard and the
week-long Chinese Lunar New Year holiday kicked off.
The World Health Organisation called the new coronavirus
that has killed 25 people in China and infected 830 called "an
emergency in China" on Thursday but stopped short of declaring
the epidemic of international concern. Health officials fear the transmission rate could accelerate
as hundreds of millions of Chinese travel at home and abroad
during the Lunar New Year holidays.
"Market sentiment continues to be overshadowed by reports of
more cases of the Wuhan virus," ING Bank said in a note to
clients.
Trading volumes were thin across Southeast Asian markets,
with financial markets in China, Taiwan, South Korea and Vietnam
closed on Friday.
Malaysian shares .KLSE fell for a fifth straight session,
with losses in the resources and utility sectors weighing on the
index.
Electricity provider Tenaga Nasional TENA.KL lost 1.7%,
while chemicals maker Petronas Chemicals Group PCGB.KL was
down 2%.
For the week, the benchmark stock index was down more than
1.5%, heading for its biggest weekly drop since the week ended
Nov. 29, 2019.
Singapore shares .STI were marginally higher ahead of
December manufacturing output data due later in the day, with
financial and telecom stocks leading gains.
For the week, the benchmark stock index was down 1.3% after
four straight weeks of gains.
Thai stocks .SETI gained slightly, helped by financials
and telecoms, but were on track to post a weekly drop of more
than 1%.
Lender Siam Commercial Bank SCB.BK and telecom company
Advanced Info Service PCL ADVANC.BK rose 0.8% and 0.5%,
respectively.
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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS AS AT 0310 GMT
STOCK MARKETS
Change on the
day
Market Current Previous Pct Move
close
Singapore 3236.89 3234.56 0.07
Bangkok 1574.92 1573.7 0.08
Manila 7614.28 7616.35 -0.03
Jakarta 6245.973 6249.21 -0.05
Kuala Lumpur 1569.36 1574.44 -0.32
Change so far in
2020
Market Current End 2019 Pct Move
Singapore 3236.89 3222.83 0.44
Bangkok 1574.92 1579.84 -0.31
Manila 7614.28 7,815.26 -2.57
Jakarta 6245.973 6,299.54 -0.85
Kuala Lumpur 1569.36 1588.76 -1.22
Ho Chi Minh 991.46 960.99 3.17