KUALA LUMPUR (Nikkei Markets) - Malaysian shares rebounded on Thursday to cap monthly loss of 6.9% as signs of easing political woes in Italy encouraged investors to hunt for stocks battered by a global equities rout a day earlier. Singapore shares ended lower following heavy selling in the final hour of trading that extended May's loss to 5.1%.
The FBM KLCI rose 1.2% to close at 1740.62 thanks to gains in industrial stocks. The Straits Times Index, meanwhile, edged 0.5% lower at 3,428.18. Both the Malaysian ringgit and Singaporean dollar edged higher against the U.S. dollar.