Across broader market, losers outnumber gainers 296 to 257, as 1.1 billion securities worth S$812.3 million change hands
SINGAPORE shares fell on Friday (Jul 5), tracking declines by regional indices.
The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) fell 0.9 per cent or 29.07 points to 3,410.81.
Across the broader market, losers outnumbered gainers 296 to 257, after 1.1 billion securities worth S$812.3 million changed hands.
Key indices in the region ended mostly lower. The Nikkei 225 was largely flat, the Kospi Composite Index was up 1.3 per cent, while the Hang Seng Index was down 1.3 per cent. The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI closed down 0.4 per cent.
Yeap Jun Rong, market analyst at IG, noted that markets are awaiting the release of US non-farm payroll data to predict whether an interest rate cut is coming in September.
In particular, investors are on the lookout for data that more jobs were added, and that the US unemployment rate is holding steady at 4 per cent.
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The anticipation of a possible rate cut would limit risk-taking in the region, with Yeap expecting the markets to be relatively stable with a weaker US dollar. The no-surprise outcome of a Labour victory in the UK elections is likely to elicit a lukewarm reaction from global markets.
On the STI, the biggest gainer was CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust, which rose 0.5 per cent or S$0.01 to S$2.
The largest decliner was CapitaLand Investment, which fell 2.2 per cent or S$0.06 to S$2.65.
The three local banks ended lower on Friday. DBS fell 1.5 per cent or S$0.56 to S$37.42, OCBC fell 1 per cent or S$0.15 to S$15, while UOB was down 0.2 per cent or S$0.07 to S$32.50.
