Most Southeast Asian stock markets fell on Tuesday as weak February trade data from China triggered selling in Asia, sending recent outperformers such as Singapore and Thai stocks more than 1 percent lower. Singapore's Straits Times Index slipped 1.6 percent to 2,778.77. The index had closed at a more than two-month high of 2,837 on Friday. Thai SET index ended down 1.5 percent, reversing a near four-month closing high on Monday.
The weak market sentiment also came after Thai central bank said it planned to lower its 2016 economic growth forecast from 3.5 percent seen in December due to increased downside risk. In Kuala Lumpur, stocks fell modestly, a day ahead of Malaysia's central bank review of its overnight policy rate expected to be kept steady at 3.25 percent. Indonesia posted a second straight loss ahead of a public holiday on Wednesday, while Vietnam shares edged down as energy stocks dropped on profit-taking.
The Philippines bucked the trend, finishing up 0.3 percent, with foreigners net buying shares for a second day, worth 853 million peso ($18.2 million), stock exchange data showed. Most other markets reported foreign inflows, with Indonesia standing at 44 billion rupiah ($3.4 million), Malaysia at 51 million ringgit ($12.4 million) and Thailand clocking 641 million baht ($18.1 million), data showed.
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