Stocks in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia fell in light volume on Friday as market players sold rallying stocks such as Axiata Group Bhd and Ayala Corp but optimism over China's data lent support elsewhere in the region. The Philippine index, Southeast Asia's worst performer, fell 1.4 percent on the day, capping the 1.5 percent loss on the week, its worst since July.

Profit-takers continued to derail Manila bourse's rally this year. Conglomerate Ayala Corp dropped 5.2 percent on the week after rising to its record high on Tuesday. Malaysia's main index edged down 0.05 percent. It was up 2.1 percent on the week, the region's best performer ahead of Singapore's 2 percent and Thailand's 1.8 percent gains. In Kuala Lumpur, shares in Axiata Group Bhd, Southeast Asia's second-largest mobile phone provider, ended down 0.3 percent. Axiata hit a near two-month high on Thursday after kicking off consolidation of Cambodia's crowded telecommunications market with the $155 million acquisition of rival Latelz Co Ltd.

Copyright Reuters, 2012