Southeast Asian stocks mostly ended firmer on Thursday, with Malaysia and Singapore outperforming in the region amid mixed signals on the Chinese manufacturing sector. Singapore's Straits Times Index gained 1.1 percent, rising to its highest level since October 9, led by financials. Malaysia rose 0.8 percent to its highest close in two weeks, led by consumer cyclical stocks like Genting and Genting Malaysia.
Shares of Malaysia's second-biggest bank, CIMB Group Holdings Bhd, fell after local media reported that the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), a key CIMB shareholder, may be forced to cut its stake to push through a planned merger. It closed 0.2 percent weaker. Asian shares sagged after a retreat on Wall Street and falling crude oil prices rekindled investor anxiety over slowing global growth, while a mixed picture on Chinese manufacturing failed to impress markets.
The latest manufacturing read on China did little to allay those concerns. The flash HSBC/Markit manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) edged up to 50.4 from a final reading of 50.2 in September, just a hair's breadth from the 50.3 reading forecast by analysts. Among the decliners was the Philippine share index, closing down 0.5 percent, and Vietnam, which dropped 1.3 percent as investors offloaded shares after three days of gains that followed a sharp decline last week. The Thailand stock market was closed for a holiday.