FTSE STI closed 2,779.98, down 17.90 points or -0.64% with a total volume of 1.41b and a total value of S$1.49b. Total number of advance vs decline was 180 vs 300. Of the 30 component index stocks, 9 closed positive, 20 closed negative and 1 remained unchanged. The top 5 gainer component stocks were :-
1. JMH 400US$ +0.680
2. JSH 500US$ +0.300
3. KepCorp +0.130
4. Jardine C&C +0.100
5. SingTel +0.030
The top 5 loser component stocks were :-
1. DBS -0.360
2. CityDev -0.320
3. UOB -0.320
4. OCBC -0.180
5. SIA -0.160
US markets rallied average 1.3% yesterday night but Asia markets were muted with the rally instead closed in the red due to profit taking. Nikkei closed -1.01%, SSE -3.45% and HSI -1.53%. STI hit intra-day high of 2,803.85 but failed to hold above 2,800 level closed 2,779.98 with majority of the blue chips closed in the red as investors chose to take profit after the recent run up. Leading the drop was the bank stocks. Investors will be looking at US 3Q GDP figure tonight and also the direction of USD. Any rebound in USD might trigger USD carry trade causing funds to sell off in Asia markets.
