SE Asia Stocks-Most rise as stimulus measures boost sentiment; Singapore leads gains

* Singapore set for best day since Christmas 2015 * Malaysia set to snap four consecutive sessions of losses * Philippine stock exchange set to resume trading on March 19 By Arpit Nayak March 18 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Wednesday, with Singapore leading the pack, as risk sentiment improved on global stimulus efforts to soften the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Shares in Singapore jumped as much 3.2% and were headed for their best session in more than four years after Wall Street ended higher overnight on the U.S. Federal Reserve's move to boost liquidity and as the Trump administration unveiled a $1 trillion stimulus package. "These are precisely the kind of numbers the market was looking for" said Stephen Innes, global chief markets strategist at AxiCorp, referring to Washington's massive stimulus package. "Even if the details are sketchy, dropping a colossal amount of cash in the market's lap was necessary," he added. The city-state's benchmark, supported by gains in financials, was on course to end a five-session losing streak, a period during which it lost 13.4% of its value. Conglomerate Jardine Matheson jumped 9.5%, while Southeast Asia's biggest lender DBS Group Holdings rose 2.7%. The Thai bourse rose 2.5% after the central bank said it bought short and long-term government bonds worth 35 billion baht ($1.08 billion) to increase liquidity and reduce market volatility. Malaysian equities firmed 1.5%, on course to snap four straight sessions of losses, with the consumer and healthcare stocks accounting for most of the gains. However, Indonesian stocks traded 0.5% lower, having fallen as much 3.7% earlier. The country warned on Tuesday of a significant increase in the number of people infected with the virus and restricted entry and transit of visitors from seven European countries and Iran from March 20. Trading in the Philippines, meanwhile, remained suspended. The Philippine stock exchange said on Tuesday trading would resume on March 19 after a two-day suspension as the country's main island remained under strict quarantine procedures. For Asian Companies click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS as at 0322 GMT Change on the day Market Current Previous Pct Move close Singapore 2525.21 2454.53 2.88 Bangkok 1062.47 1035.17 2.64 Jakarta 4433.092 4456.749 -0.53 Kuala Lumpur 1266.98 1256.58 0.83 Ho Chi Minh 748.77 745.78 0.40 Change so far in 2020 Market Current End 2019 Pct Move Singapore 2525.21 3222.83 -21.65 Bangkok 1062.47 1579.84 -32.75 Manila 5335.37 7,815.26 -31.73 Jakarta 4433.092 6,299.54 -29.63 Kuala Lumpur 1266.98 1588.76 -20.25 Ho Chi Minh 748.77 960.99 -22.08 (Editing by Aditya Soni)