Market Summary -- 19th Jul 12

FTSE STI closed 3,028.96, up 11.75 points or +0.39% with a total volume of 1.24b and a total value of S$1.33b.  Total number of advance vs decline was 198 vs 154.  Of the 30 component index stocks, 7 closed negative, 2 remained unchanged and 21 closed positive.  The top 5 gainer component stocks were :-

1. Jardine C&C  +0.530

2. SIA  +0.230

3. DBS  +0.210

4. CityDev  +0.190

5. OCBC  +0.190

The top 5 loser component stocks were :-

1. JMH 400US$  -0.850

2. JSH 500US$  -0.490

3. F&N  -0.360

4. UOB  -0.050

5. CapitaMall  -0.020

5. CapMallsAsia  -0.020

US markets rose at least 0.60% yesterday night leading by tech stocks due to earning play.  Asian bourses taking the cue were positive for the day.  Nikkei closed +0.79%, SSE +0.73% and HSI +1.66%.  STI continued to advance with a +0.39% closing but total volume was dipping as compared with past days.  Total value however increased mainly contributed from those big cap stocks.  21 of the 30 index stocks managed to register positive closing.

Basically, stock markets were in focus on earning play with some volatility due to the economic news.  Earning play is only meant for short-term trading and do not chase the price.