* Vietnam falls 1.1%, top loser in the region
* Singapore raises virus alert level to 'orange'
* Malaysia Q4 GDP growth seen slowing to 3-1/2-year low -
poll
By Arundhati Dutta
Feb 10 (Reuters) - Southeast Asian stock markets fell on
Monday as a rising death toll in China raised alarm bells about
the severity of a virus outbreak, though authorities there
lifted some work and travel curbs.
Workers began trickling back to offices and factories around
China though a large number of workplaces remain closed and many
white-collar workers will continue to work from home.
The death toll in mainland China from the novel coronavirus
rose to 908 by the end of Sunday, surpassing the fatalities from
the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in 2003.
Meanwhile, data showed China's factory-gate prices snapped
six months of year-on-year declines in January, but analysts do
not expect the positive momentum to sustain amid economic risks
from the coronavirus. Leading decliners in Southeast Asia, Vietnamese shares
.VNI fell 1.1% with financials losing the most. Joint Stock
Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam
BID.HM shed 5%.
"It is hard to see markets gaining further against the
outbreak of coronavirus," Jeffrey Halley, market analyst at
OANDA, wrote in a note.
"That is likely to be the theme of the week, as the economic
damage is totalled up from the outbreak."
Singapore stocks .STI closed lower for the second straight
session, with financial heavyweights United Overseas Bank
UOBH.SI and DBS Group Holdings DBSM.SI losing between 1% and
1.4%.
The city-state on Friday reported more coronavirus cases
unrelated to previous infection or China travel, and raised its
alert level to "orange". Malaysian shares .KLSE ended 0.8% lower, dragged by blue
chips such as power utility Tenaga Nasional TENA.KL and Hong
Leong Financial Group HLCB.KL .
Investors now await fourth-quarter economic growth data due
on Wednesday for clues about the domestic economy.
A Reuters poll shows growth likely slowed to its weakest
since mid-2016 in the final quarter of the year on weaker
private consumption and external demand. Philippine shares .PSI gave up 1%, while Indonesian
equities .JKSE shed 0.8%.
Thailand stock markets .SETI were closed for a holiday.
For Asian Companies click;
SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS
Market Current Previous close Pct Move
Singapore 3163.15 3181.48 -0.58
Manila 7430.86 7507.2 -1.02
Jakarta 5952.083 5999.607 -0.79
Kuala Lumpur 1542.8 1554.49 -0.75
Ho Chi Minh 930.73 940.75 -1.07
Change so far in 2020
Market Current End 2019 Pct Move
Singapore 3163.15 3222.83 -1.85
Manila 7430.86 7,815.26 -4.92
Jakarta 5952.083 6,299.54 -5.52
Kuala Lumpur 1542.8 1588.76 -2.89
Ho Chi Minh 930.73 960.99 -3.15