Each week, we provide an overview of the percent returns of the primary indices in Southeast Asia and their currency appreciation or depreciation relative to the US Dollar. We provide this information below. We also capture this information, as well as the trailing four and year-to-date movements, and plot the data in charts, which you can find on the “index charts” and “currency charts” pages.
Indices
During the week of 20 November, seven of the ten indices in Southeast Asia advanced, with Myanmar’s Myanpix index (YSX) reversing its 4.64% loss the previous week and jumping 7.20%. First Myanmar Investment (FMI), one of the four companies listed on the YSX, drove the index’s increase after a Singapore-based company announced it was purchasing an FMI-owned tourism business, according to The Myanmar Times.1
The Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (VNI) and the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HSX) again had large gains over the week, particularly VNI, which surged 5.04%. Large-cap stocks helped drive the VNI’s rise, according to Viet Nam News. The HNX increased 2.33%.
Weekly gains
- Myanmar’s Myanpix index (YSX), 7.20%
- Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange Index (VNI), 5.04%
- Hanoi Stock Exchange Index (HNX), 2.33%
- Singapore’s Straits Times Index (STI), 1.77%
- Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi), 0.65%
- Cambodia Securities Exchange index (CSX), 0.54%
- Jakarta Stock Exchange index (JSX), 0.25%
Weekly declines
- Lao Securities Exchange index (LSX), -0.11%
- Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI), -0.26%
- Stock Exchange of Thailand index (SET), -0.79%
Currencies
Seven of the nine Southeast Asian currencies advanced relative to the US Dollar the week of 20 November, with the Malaysian Ringgit for the third consecutive week increasing the most, appreciating 0.93%. The Ringgit had risen 1.17% as of Thursday but possibly declined after Malaysia’s Department of Statistics on Friday reported year-over-year inflation in October of 3.7%, which was less than economists forecasted and less than the rate reported for September, according to The Star Online.
The Monetary Authority of Singapore on Thursday reported Singapore’s third quarter GDP grew 5.2%, which was the fastest rate since the fourth quarter of 2013, according to The Straits Times. The Singapore Dollar gained 0.11% on Thursday and appreciated 0.82% over the week.
Weekly appreciations
- Malaysian Ringgit (MYR), 0.93%
- Singapore Dollar (SGD), 0.82%
- Thai Baht (THB), 0.58%
- Philippine Peso (PHP), 0.38%
- Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), 0.11%
- Lao Kip (LAK), 0.03%
- Myanmar Kyat (MMK), 0.00%
Weekly depreciation
- Cambodian Riel (KHR), -0.01%
- Vietnamese Dong (VND), -0.06%
1 For more information on the FMI influencing the YSX’s returns, please see “FMI Drives Surge in YSX.”