SE Asian stocks edge down after weak Chinese data

Southeast Asian stocks edged down on Monday as risk appetite was curbed after poor economic data from China. Singaporean shares shook off losses from the previous session as investors sought bargains.

Singaporean stocks climbed 1.4 per cent, led by financial stocks, following a 1.1 slump that made them the region's worst performer on Friday.

Investors appeared to look past data from Monday that showed a worse-than-expected fall in Singapore's non-oil domestic exports in November, with shipments to most of its major trading partners declining.

As of Friday, Singapore's benchmark has fallen 8 per cent in the past six months, reports Reuters.

Meanwhile, Chinese data released on Friday showing subdued retail sales and industrial output figures for November weighed on sentiment.

Indonesian stocks see-sawed in early trade and fell 0.7 per cent, ahead of the release of data on the country's trade deficit.

Indonesia is expected to post a smaller trade deficit in November compared with a month earlier, a Reuters poll showed on Friday, in a relief to the central bank which has been raising rates to defend the troubled rupiah.

Malaysian stocks traded slightly lower, with lender RHB Bank Bhd falling 2.4 per cent.

Vietnamese shares fell 0.7 per cent, with most major sectors in the red, as financials and consumer stocks underpinned losses.

Lender Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam was down 1.0 per cent, while Vietnam Technological And Commercial Joint Stock Bank shed 0.9 per cent.

The Thai index, which is heavily influenced by energy stocks, rose 0.2 per cent as energy shares appeared to benefit from a rise in oil prices.

Philippine stocks traded nearly flat, with industrials in the red.