Keppel Land rises; Singapore index down on weak China data

SINGAPORE, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Shares in Keppel Land Ltd

KLAN.SI gained on Thursday, outperforming Singapore's stock market that echoed sluggishness in Asian markets as investors remained cautious about Chinese manufacturing data.

Keppel Land shares rose as much as 2.5 percent to a near three-week high of S$3.34.

The property arm of Keppel Group said its fourth-quarter net profit before fair value gain rose 22 percent year-on-year. Overseas earnings rose 64 percent on stronger contribution from China. News Search ID:nSNqGsKF

MayBank Kim Eng maintained a "buy" rating on Keppel Land with a target price of S$4.60, saying it expected property demand in China to remain healthy, while Vietnam was showing early signs of a possible recovery.

"For 2014, we expect Keppel Land to maintain its focus on growing its operations in China, where demand from upgraders and first-timers can be sustained in our view," MayBank said in a research note.

CIMB maintained a "hold" rating on the stock with a target price of S$3.51, expecting Chinese housing headwinds to build up as liquidity tightens and cooling measures continue to be strictly enforced. Keppel Land's slowdown in local development makes its earnings profile highly volatile, CIMB said.

The benchmark Straits Times Index .FTSTI was down 0.8 percent at 3,110.25 as of 0523 GMT, on course for its biggest daily decline in nearly three weeks. Trading volume was barely half of its 90-day daily average.

The MSCI broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan

.MIAPJ0000PUS lost 1.2 percent, after the HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for China fell to 49.6 in January, from December's 50.5, suggesting a mild slowdown at the end of 2013 has continued into the new year. News Search ID:nL3N0KW52B

DBS Group Holdings Ltd DBSM.SI was heading for its biggest daily loss in almost four months after a Reuters report said on Wednesday it was in advanced talks to buy Societe Generale's

SOGN.PA Asian private bank. News Search ID:nL3N0KW1ON

Hongkong Land Holdings Ltd , the worst performer on the index, was headed for its biggest daily loss in more than three months, shedding 2.5 percent to an intra-day low of S$6.24.

(Reporting by Brian Leonal; Editing by Anupama Dwivedi)

((leonal.brian@thomsonreuters.com)(+65 6403 5663))

Keywords: MARKETS SINGAPORE/