FTSE STI closed 2,764.95, down 18.90 points or -0.68% with a total volume of 1.28b and a total value of S$1.37b. Total number of advance vs decline was 147 vs 345. Of the 30 component index stocks, 7 closed positive, 20 closed negative and 3 remained unchanged. The top 5 gainer component stocks were :-
1. DBS +0.140
2. SIA +0.100
3. ST Engg +0.040
4. SGX +0.030
5. SingTel +0.020
5. SMRT +0.020
The top 5 loser component stocks were :-
1. JMH 400US$ -0.720
2. UOB -0.280
3. Jardine C&C -0.160
4. Capitaland -0.100
5. NobleGrp -0.100
US markets rallied yesterday night after a better than expected retail sales figure and US Fed chief cited will keep interest rate low while US economy on its way to recovery. Asia bourses mostly traded in narrow range today despite US rally as investors became cautious when the markets were on an up for past days. Profit taking kicked in caused Asia markets to close mixed. Nikkei closed -0.63%, SSE +0.24% and HSI -0.13%. Profit taking on blue chips caused STI to close down 18.90 points. Singapore export announced in the afternoon fell more than expected and that further caused some bearish sentiment to the market.
