SINGAPORE equities began Friday (Jan 10) in negative territory, with the benchmark index retreating further by the midday break, driven by losses in the banking stocks.
As at noon, the Straits Times Index (STI) had fallen 67.3 points or 1.7 per cent to 3,795.3, standing slightly above the day’s low of 3,793.16.
Across the broader market, losers outnumbered gainers 295 to 149, after 419.9 million securities worth S$586 million changed hands.
Local banking stocks fell at least 2 per cent after rising to highs earlier in the week. DBS shed 2 per cent or S$0.90 to S$44.10 – retreating from its record high of $45 it reached on Wednesday
OCBC was down 2.3 per cent or S$0.40 at S$17.10. UOB declined 2.1 per cent or S$0.79 to S$36.79.
Keppel Infrastructure Trust was the most actively traded counter by volume. The counter fell S$0.005 or 1.1 per cent to S$0.45 after 27.2 million shares were moved.
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Other actively traded names included Thai Beverage, which declined S$0.015 or 2.7 per cent to S$0.54. Maritime vessel maker Yangzijiang Shipbuilding tumbled S$0.16 or 5.2 per cent to S$2.95.
Wall Street was closed on Thursday as the US held a national day of mourning for the country’s late 39th president, Jimmy Carter.
Over in Europe, markets ended on a high note, driven by a rally in the healthcare and mining sectors, despite uncertainties over monetary policy and US president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff plans.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index rose 0.4 per cent to 515.84, buoyed by a rally in the basic resources sector.
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