* Graphic: Real yield of Asian bonds https://tmsnrt.rs/2GI4V8h
* S. Korea stocks, won higher after export data
* S. Korea's KOSPI marks highest close since May, 2018
* Baht at 10-month high
By Anushka Trivedi
Nov 11 (Reuters) - Stock markets in Singapore, Malaysia and
the Philippines declined by up to 1% on Wednesday, as this
week's burst of market optimism about progress on coronavirus
vaccines faded.
Investors switched to discounted losers from coronavirus
winners on Tuesday, fuelling a rally in travel and energy
shares, after drugmakers Pfizer Inc PFE.N and BioNTech SE
BNTX.O showed a 90% success rate in preventing infection
during trials.
"While some concerns remain with respect to the safety and
distribution of any viable COVID-19 vaccines, it appears that
investors have largely adopted a wait-and-see attitude at this
point," said Jingyi Pan, a Singapore-based market strategist
with financial services firm IG.
Other regional stock indexes also came off their highs
touched since the U.S. election, although South Korea's KOSPI
.KS11 jumped 1.4% to mark its highest close in more than
two-years. KRW/
South Korea, considered a bellwether for global trade,
reported a surge in 10-day exports, driven by strong
semiconductor demand, helping the won KRW=KFTC advance 0.5%.
The Thai baht THB=TH firmed 0.8% to hit a 10-month peak
as foreigners bought into the country's stocks and debt after
vaccine progress boosted prospects for the economy dominated by
trade and tourism.
Yields on Thai sovereign bonds have been quite attractive in
Asia, after those of Malaysia and Indonesia, as they benefit
from the chances of a divided U.S. Congress that may result in a
slimmer round of stimulus and cap long-term Treasury yields.
Headway on a vaccine bodes well for the ailing Thai economy,
but the pandemic will remain a key factor in determining the
baht's movement in the near term, said Poon Panichpibool, a
market strategist at Krung Thai Bank.
"If the COVID-19 outbreak is still not under control and
there's no further positive development in distribution of the
vaccine, the market sentiment could shift from risk-on to
risk-off, adding to the U.S. dollar's strength," he added
Most other emerging Asia's currencies were rangebound
against a subdued greenback, with the Taiwanese dollar TWD=TP
again firming more than 1% to outperform its peers.
HIGHLIGHTS
** Thai baht on track to advance about 2.5% since U.S.
election
** Top losers on Malaysia index: IHH Healthcare IHHH.KL ,
down 3.36% and Hap Seng Consolidated Bhd HAPS.KL , down 2.93%
** Top drags on Singapore's STI: Ascendas Real Estate
Investment Trust AEMN.SI and Mapletree Industrial Trust
MAPI.SI , down 6.3% and 4.3%, respectively
Asia stock indexes and currencies at
0641 GMT
COUNTRY FX RIC FX DAILY % FX YTD % INDEX STOCKS DAILY % STOCKS YTD %
Japan JPY= -0.02 +3.14 .N225 1.78 7.16
China CNY=CFXS +0.23 +5.49 .SSEC -0.38 9.75
India INR=IN -0.10 -3.88 .NSEI -0.29 3.51
Indonesia IDR= -0.21 -1.35 .JKSE 0.95 -12.46
Malaysia MYR= -0.05 -0.75 .KLSE -0.88 -1.74
Philippines PHP= -0.02 +4.87 .PSI -0.16 -10.12
S.Korea KRW=KFTC +0.46 +4.18 .KS11 1.35 13.11
Singapore SGD= +0.13 -0.13 .STI -0.32 -16.33
Taiwan TWD=TP +1.21 +5.60 .TWII 1.38 10.54
Thailand THB=TH +0.83 -0.96 .SETI 0.82 -14.40