Singapore stocks gain inline with Asia; Keppel jumps

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan, which scaled a 10-year peak on Tuesday, was up 0.3 percent, but still down slightly for the week.

Singapore stock exchange
An SGX sign is pictured at Singapore Stock Exchange Reuters

Singapore stocks rose on Friday, tracking gains in other Asian equities after the U.S. Senate approved a budget blueprint for the 2018 fiscal year.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan, which scaled a 10-year peak on Tuesday, was up 0.3 percent, but still down slightly for the week.

The Republican-controlled Senate voted for the budget measure late on Thursday, which would add up to $1.5 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade in order to pay for proposed tax cuts, Reuters reported.

The Straits Times Index rose 0.17 percent or 6 points to 3,340. It ended 0.18 percent higher on Thursday, taking the year-to-date performance to about 16 percent.

United Overseas Bank fell 0.1 percent, Oversea-Chinese Banking added 0.4 percent and DBS Group Holdings rose 0.5 percent.

Singaporean conglomerate Keppel Corp jumped 4 percent after posting a 29 percent rise in third-quarter profit, boosted by higher profits from China and Vietnam property trading, the power and gas and asset management businesses and the sale of investments.

Property developer GuocoLand advanced 1.7 percent after it reported a 41 percent jump in first-quarter gross profit, powered by by higher sales and progressive revenue recognition from Singapore's residential projects.

Shares in CapitaLand Commercial Trust ended unchanged. The company reported a 7 percent rise in third-quarter distributable income due to stronger performance from CapitaGreen and divestment gains.

Oil and gas explorer KrisEnergy added about 1 percent said it made a final investment decision to proceed with the first phase of development for the Apsara oil field in Cambodia.

About 2.5 billion shares worth S$1.2 billion changed hands, with gainers outnumbering losers 253 to 188.

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