* Singapore posts biggest intraday pct drop since May 2019
* Conglomerate Jardine Matheson slips 4.5% to one-month low
* Malaysia down for sixth session, Malaysia Airports slumps
By Arpit Nayak
Jan 28 (Reuters) - Singapore shares lost 3% on Tuesday,
their biggest intraday drop in more than eight months, after the
city-state said the coronavirus outbreak would hit its economy
this year.
Wall Street equities tumbled overnight as China stepped up
preventive measures, imposed travel restrictions and extended
the Lunar New Year holidays to limit the spread of the virus.
Doubts have emerged whether Beijing can contain the virus
that has spread to more than 10 countries as the death toll in
China rose rapidly to 106 from 81 a day earlier.
"Given that China has rapidly increased its role in the
global supply chains, the market continues to price in the worst
case, negative growth shock scenarios," Stephen Innes, Asia
Pacific Market Strategist at AxiCorp, wrote in a note.
"At this juncture, traders are still very much uncertain
about which road to take (trade or fade), but there remains a
growing sense in the market that contagion levels could get
worse before they get better."
Financials and industrials took the biggest hit in Singapore
.STI as the city-state announced new measures to tackle the
virus. Trade minister Chan Chun Sing said the government was
considering support measures for hard-hit sectors like tourism.
The travel and tourism hub has so far reported four cases of
the virus, prompting a new advisory for travellers to postpone
all non-essential travel to mainland China.
Lender DBS Group Holdings DBSM.SI shed more than 2.5% and
conglomerate Jardine Matheson Holdings JARD.SI was down over
4%.
Among other losers, Malaysian shares .KLSE fell over 1%
and were headed for a sixth consecutive session of losses.
Tourism-dependent Malaysia Airports Holdings MAHB.KL
plunged as much as 9.5% to its lowest since February 2017 and
was on course for a sixth straight session of losses.
Among the few gainers was Top Glove Corp TPGC.KL , the
world's largest manufacturer of gloves. The stock jumped 10% to
its highest in more than a year after a 16% gain last week, as
the company continues to benefit from hopes of a surge in demand
for rubber gloves due to the virus outbreak.
Hartalega Holdings HTHB.KL , a nitrile glove maker, rose
6.8%, while hospital owner IHH Healthcare IHHH.KL climbed
2.6%.
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SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS as at 0336 GMT
Change on the day
Market Current Previous close Pct Move
Singapore 3156.74 3240.02 -2.57
Bangkok 1525.56 1524.15 0.09
Manila 7486.97 7587.63 -1.33
Jakarta 6079.808 6133.208 -0.87
Kuala Lumpur 1553.58 1572.81 -1.22
Change so far in 2020
Market Current End 2019 Pct Move
Singapore 3156.74 3222.83 -2.05
Bangkok 1525.56 1579.84 -3.44
Manila 7486.97 7,815.26 -4.20
Jakarta 6079.808 6,299.54 -3.49
Kuala Lumpur 1553.58 1588.76 -2.21
Ho Chi Minh 991.46 960.99 3.17