BANGKOK: Southeast Asian stock markets were mixed on Friday in holiday-thinned trade, with Malaysian benchmark hitting an over two-week high, while Thai index fell due to weaknesses in energy shares and investors awaited the central bank’s economic review. Malaysia’s key index ticked up 0.64 percent at 1,760.92, the highest level since Dec. 10. Supports are anticipated to appear around 1,730-1,740, while resistances may emerge from 1,760-1,800, said broker Affin Hwang Capital. "The FBMKLCI is anticipated to continue its current rebound till end of year with window dressing activities expected to support the index and selected blue chips," it said in a report. Banking shares led gainers on the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI index, with Hong Leong Financial Group up 2.1 percent and Public Bank trading 1.8 percent higher. Thai SET index was down 0.5 percent by midday. Shares of the country’s biggest energy firm PTT extended previous day’s fall, down 0.6 percent at 326 baht as a drop in oil prices dented its earnings outlook. Fourteen out of 22 analysts tracking PTT rated the stock "buy’ or "strong buy," seven put "hold" and one analyst has "sell," Thomson Reuters data showed. Thanachart Securities said in a report last week it cut PTT target price to 318 baht from 345. The Bank of Thailand has cut its GDP forecasts, from 1.5 percent for 2014 and 4.8 percent for next year. Its new projections will be released on Friday. Weaker-than-expected manufacturing output in November weighed on sentiment in Singapore, with the key Straits Times Index trading slightly lower at 3,344.12. Shares of Keppel Corp and Singapore Exchange were among losers in active trading by market turnover. Vietnam’s benchmark VN Index rose 1 percent, with Hanoi-based lender Vietcombank outperforming the market after its shareholders approved a merger guideline at its extraordinary meeting in the morning. The Indonesia and Philippine markets were shut on Friday, with trading to resume on Monday. – Reuters
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