* China exports shrink for fourth consecutive month
* Thailand posts ninth straight session of falls
* Malaysia snaps 2 sessions of gains
By Arundhati Dutta
Dec 9 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian markets weakened on
Monday, as worries over poor economic data from China offset
Wall Street cheer on strong U.S. jobs data, while investors
buckled in for a crucial week of trade negotiations.
Chinese exports eased for the fourth straight month in
November, implying that the 17-month long trade standoff with
the United States was weighing on Southeast Asia's largest
trading partner. However, data from the U.S. showed that job growth increased
the most in 10 months in November and the unemployment rate had
ticked back down to its lowest level in nearly half a century. This week, focus turns to trade talks between the two
biggest economies in the world as U.S. President Donald Trump
has to decide whether to hold off on a new set of tariffs on
Chinese goods, which are set to kick in on Dec. 15.
"China's insistence for U.S. tariff rollbacks remains a
critical redline, " DBS Group Research wrote in a note.
Thai shares .SETI fell for a ninth straight session and
hit their lowest level in nearly a year.
"The ninth consecutive fall foreshadows continued weak
domestic demand going into 2020, " economists at ING said in a
note.
Industrials were top losers, with Airports of Thailand
AOT.BK losing as much as 3.7% to hit its lowest level in over
two months.
Malaysian stocks .KLSE snapped two sessions of gains, with
heavyweights such as power utility Tenaga Nasional TENA.KL and
telecom Axiata Group AXIA.KL dragging the index.
The trade-sensitive Singapore index .STI closed lower,
weighed by losses in conglomerates Jardine Matheson Holdings
JARD.SI and Jardine Strategic Holdings JSH.SI .
Philippine shares .PSI dropped 0.3%. Conglomerates SM
Investments Corp SM.PS and Ayala Land ALI.PS lost 1.7% and
1.8%, respectively.
Indonesian stocks .JKSE inched up, with PT Bank Mandiri
(Persero) Tbk and PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk adding
1% and 0.2%, respectively.
Indonesia's banking regulator on Monday issued a decree
requiring banks to keep a minimum leverage ratio of 3% starting
Jan 1, 2020. Asian Companies click;
SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS
STOCK MARKETS
Change on the day
Market Current Previous close Pct Move
Singapore 3179.82 3194.71 -0.47
Bangkok 1552.96 1558.99 -0.39
Manila 7779.8 7801.72 -0.28
Jakarta 6193.791 6186.868 0.11
Kuala Lumpur 1562.71 1568.44 -0.37
Ho Chi Minh 966.06 963.56 0.26
Change so far in 2019
Market Current End 2018 Pct Move
Singapore 3179.82 3068.76 3.62
Bangkok 1552.96 1563.88 -0.70
Manila 7779.8 7,466.02 4.20
Jakarta 6193.791 6,194.50 -0.01
Kuala Lumpur 1562.71 1690.58 -7.56
Ho Chi Minh 966.06 892.54 8.24