* Philippines leads declines, down 1.6%
* Singapore sole weekly gainer
* Thailand full-year growth may have fallen to 5-year low -
poll
By Arundhati Dutta
Feb 14 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets closed
lower on Friday after wavering between small gains and losses
for most parts of the day, as investors assessed the impact of
the coronavirus outbreak after an updated diagnostic method
continued to reveal more cases.
China's National Health Commission said it had recorded 121
new deaths and 5,090 new virus cases on the mainland on Feb. 13,
taking the total number of infected to 63,851 people.
Malaysia and Thailand pledged to implement measures to
support their economies hit by the outbreak. Except Singapore, all markets logged weekly losses at the
end of a volatile week where shares rallied at the slightest
sign of the epidemic slowing.
A new diagnostic method led to a surge in infections and
deaths on Thursday in China's Hubei province, the epicentre of
the outbreak.
"The picture in Hubei province has been distorted by the
recent revision of data, " OCBC Treasury Research said in a
note.
Singaporean equities .STI were tepid throughout the
session, but logged their biggest weekly gain in over three
months.
The Thai index .SETI gave up early gains to close 0.4%
lower, weighed by the utilities sector. Electricity companies
Gulf Energy Development Pcl GULF.BK and B.Grimm Power Pcl
BGRIMM.BK fell 2.6% and 5.2%, respectively.
Thailand's economy likely slowed in the last quarter of 2019
as exports were hit by the U.S.-China trade tensions, while
full-year growth may have eased to weakest in five years, a
Reuters poll showed. Philippine stocks .PSI tumbled 1.6%, dragged by losses in
heavyweight financials Public Bank PUBM.KL and Hong Leong
Financial Group HLCB.KL . The index has shed 3% over the week.
Shares in Vietnam .VNI and Indonesia .JKSE were flat.
Indonesia's trade deficit is likely to have widened in
January, with both exports and imports remaining weak at the
start of the year, according to a Reuters poll. Asian Companies click;
SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS
STOCK MARKETS
Change on the day
Market Current Previous close Pct Move
Singapore 3220.03 3220.09 0.00
Bangkok 1526.3 1532.77 -0.42
Manila 7282 7403.12 -1.64
Jakarta 5866.945 5871.954 -0.09
Kuala Lumpur 1544.46 1539.16 0.34
Ho Chi Minh 937.45 938.24 -0.08
Change so far in 2020
Market Current End 2019 Pct Move
Singapore 3220.03 3222.83 -0.09
Bangkok 1526.3 1579.84 -3.39
Manila 7282 7,815.26 -6.82
Jakarta 5866.945 6,299.54 -6.87
Kuala Lumpur 1544.46 1588.76 -2.79
Ho Chi Minh 937.45 960.99 -2.45