Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Monday, with Indonesia closing at a near four-week high and Malaysia hitting a three-week peak amid foreign-led buying, but investors in most part stayed on the sidelines in a shortened trading week. Jakarta composite index advanced 0.8 percent to 4,557.36, the highest close since December 1, led by a 2.7 percent rise in shares of Bank Rakyat Indonesia.
Kuala Lumpur composite index was up 0.4 percent at 1,670.73, the highest close since December 7, with shares of Sapurakencana Petroleum among actively traded. The overall stock markets in Indonesia and Malaysia brought in a net foreign buying worth 429 billion rupiah ($31.45 million) and 118 million ringgit ($27.47 million), respectively, stock exchange data showed. Bangkok's SET index ended up 0.2 percent after a range-bound trading session and buying led by domestic mutual funds. Vietnam rose for a third day, adding 0.4 percent on gains in large caps.
Stocks in the Philippines eased 0.3 percent after the third straight gain on Friday to a more than three-week closing high. Manila saw trading volumes falling to 62 percent of a 30-day average, Singapore sliding to 47 percent and most others also in thin volumes ahead of public holidays later in the week.