Singapore stocks gain along with Asia; DBS hits record high

About 1.2 billion shares worth S$858 million changed hands, with gainers outnumbering losers 259 to 136

sgx
SGX Logo. Reuters

Singapore shares rose on Tuesday, tracking firm Asian equities, with DBS Group Holdings gaining as much as 1.7 percent to a record.

Asian shares advanced, in line with global equity markets following a deal to end a U.S. government shutdown.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.7 percent to a fresh record peak. Australian stocks climbed 0.7 percent and South Korea's KOSPI added 1 percent. Japan's Nikkei was 1.1 percent higher, Reuters data showed.

At 0530 GMT, the Straits Times Index was up 0.40 percent or 14 points to 3,583. It ended 0.54 percent higher on Monday, taking the year-to-date gains to about 4 percent.

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Economic data back home was a little somber. The consumer price index - the main measure of inflation - edged up 0.4 percent in December compared with the same month a year earlier.

This was below November's inflation rate of 0.6 percent and smaller than economists' estimates of a 0.5 percent rise.

The city-state's top lenders Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp edged up 0.2 percent and United Overseas Bank gained 1 percent.

Active stocks included, APAC Strategic climbing 50 percent to S$0.003 while Nico Steel lost 25 percent to S$0.003 in afternoon trades.

Shares in Sembcorp Marine climbed 5 percent amid speculation including potential privatization or divestment by parent Sembcorp Industries.

Noble lost 3.7 percent after gaining as much as 40 percent in the previous session amid report China's Cedar Holdings was interested in buying the commodities trader.

About 1.2 billion shares worth S$858 million changed hands, with gainers outnumbering losers 259 to 136.

This article was first published on January 23, 2018
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