SINGAPORE shares ended lower on Friday (Jun 28), led by declines in large-cap counters on the benchmark index.
The Straits Times Index (STI) fell 0.3 per cent or 10.55 points to 3,332.80. Across the broader market, losers beat gainers 257 to 254, after 1.3 billion securities worth S$1.2 billion changed hands.
The biggest decliner on the STI was Sembcorp Industries, which fell 3.2 per cent or S$0.16 to S$4.81.
Meanwhile, CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust was the top gainer, rising 1.5 per cent or S$0.03 to S$1.98.
The local banking trio saw mixed trading on Friday. DBS lost 0.7 per cent or S$0.26 to S$35.79, OCBC was down 0.6 per cent or S$0.08 to S$14.43, while UOB rose 0.7 per cent or S$0.22 to S$31.33.
Elsewhere in Asia, key indices ended higher. The Nikkei 225 gained 0.6 per cent, the Kospi Composite Index climbed 0.5 per cent, the Hang Seng Index edged up 0.01 per cent, and the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI rose 0.3 per cent.
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Yeap Jun Rong, market analyst at IG, noted that a higher-than-expected read from Tokyo’s consumer price index print offered some validation that the wage-price spiral sought by the Bank of Japan may be in effect.
Major US indices also closed higher overnight, which seems to reflect some optimism from dip buyers in place ahead of the personal consumption expenditure price data release, he said.
“That said, we may still expect a cautious lead-up with little appetite for risk-taking, given surprises in Canada’s and Australia’s inflation numbers this week,” Yeap said.
