Stocks in the Philippines and Indonesia fell while Singapore and Thai shares posted limited gains on Tuesday amid mild selling pressure as caution about the euro zone crisis set in due to dragged-out Greek debt-restructuring talks. Greek resistance to the strict conditions attached to a bailout fund sapped recent momentum across Asia that has been spurred by hopes the global economy is improving.
---- Commodities-related shares lift S'pore, Thailand The Philippines index ended down 1.25 percent at its day's low on late selling, with investors cashing in on recent gains in financials such as Bank of the Philippine Islands after the previous day's surge that sent Manila to record high.
Jakarta's Composite Index (JCI) ended down 0.5 percent, falling at one point to its lowest in one week. Traders attributed selling in Indonesian shares this week mainly to profit-taking. Indonesia, Southeast Asia's second-best performer in 2011, has gained 3.5 percent this year. The only regional market to have a smaller gain in 2012 is Malaysia, which has risen 0.5 percent.
In a choppy session, Singapore's Straits Times Index edged up 0.6 percent, Vietman's Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange index gained 0.34 percent and Thai SET index moved up 0.57 percent by 0905 GMT. Malaysia's stock market was shut on Tuesday for religious festivals and will reopen on Wednesday. In Manila, Bank of the Philippine Islands, the biggest bank by market capitalisation, dropped 3.4 percent, and number two Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co lost 1.3 percent.