Singapore stocks pause after logging best week in nine months

Singapore stocks edged lower on Monday as investors took a back-seat after the index posted its best weekly advance since January in the previous session.

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SGX Logo. Reuters

Singapore stocks edged lower on Monday as investors took a back-seat after the index posted its best weekly advance since January in the previous session.

Asian stocks rose amid optimism on global growth while political uncertainty caused turbulence for the Turkish and British currencies.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan edged up 0.1 percent, having rebounded by 1.7 percent last week.

Friday's U.S. jobs report showed a spike in hourly wages that bolstered the odds for tighter monetary policy, pushing the chances of a December hike to nearly 80 percent.

At 0425 GMT, the Straits Times Index fell 0.1 percent or 3 points to 3,288. It ended 0.9 percent higher on Friday, taking the year-to-date performance to about 14 percent.

United Overseas Bank gained 1.5 percent, Overseas-Chinese Banking Corp gained 0.1 percent and DBS Group Holdings dropped 0.05 percent each.

Sembcorp Marine jumped about 6 percent after its unit PPL Shipyard signed agreements for the sale of nine Pacific Class 400 jackup drilling rigs for about US$1.3 billion (S$1.77 billion).

Singapore conglomerate Keppel Corp added about 1 percent after saying it received an eligibility-to-list letter from the SGX for the proposed initial public offering of a U.S. commercial real estate investment trust on the mainboard.

Commodity trader Noble Group rose 1.3 percent after saying it will announce the consideration paid by Mercuria Energy America Inc for its unit after adjustments for closing date net working capital.

Aircraft maintenance company SIA Engineering on Friday said it would collaborate with Air India's subsidiary to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul services in India. Shares in the company were unchanged at S$3.19.

About 1.3 billion shares worth S$508 million changed hands, with losers outnumbering gainers 197 to 169.

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