SINGAPORE: Shares in Singapore, among the more expensive markets in Asia and highly exposed to global trade, slipped on Thursday ahead of a policy decision by its central bank, while most other Southeast Asian stock markets reversed course to end higher.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore is expected to tighten its exchange-rate based policy at a review on Friday, a Reuters poll showed. The city state's advance estimate of first-quarter gross domestic product is also due at the same time.
The Singapore index fell 0.3 percent, as Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp Ltd closed 0.9 percent lower and Singapore Telecommunications Ltd lost 1.5 percent.
Indonesian shares dropped, reversing three sessions of gains, with Telekomunikasi Indonesia slipping 3.1 percent and Astra International shedding 2.8 percent.
Thai shares edged up, led by energy stocks, as global oil prices extended gains from the previous session.
State energy company PTT rose 0.7 percent, and is up nearly 25 percent this year as of Wednesday's close. PTT Exploration and Production climbed 1.7 percent to a more than one-month high.
Philippines rose 1.3 percent on broad-based gains. Bank of the Philippine Islands jumped 5 percent, while SM Prime Holdings Inc ended 3.5 percent higher.
Vietnam shares gained 0.5 percent, helped by a 3.2 percent rise in Petrovietnam Gas Joint Stock Corp and a 4.1 percent increase in Masan Group Corp.
Earlier in the day, most regional markets fell, in line with broader Asian shares, as the threat of imminent US military action in Syria rattled investors.
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