[SINGAPORE] Local stocks rose on Friday (May 16), a day after the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Singapore Exchange Regulation announced that they were seeking feedback on the proposed changes to the Singapore bourse.
The stock exchange’s blue-chip barometer, the Straits Times Index (STI), rose 0.2 per cent or 5.93 points to 3,897.87.
Across the broader market, gainers beat losers 307 to 203, as a billion securities worth S$1.1 billion changed hands.
The biggest winner on the STI was CapitaLand Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust, which was up 1.5 per cent or S$0.04 at S$2.63.
On the other end of the index was conglomerate Jardine Matheson, which fell 1.5 per cent or US$0.70 to US$46.74.
Another STI constituent, Singtel, gained 1.3 per cent or S$0.05 to S$3.80, after the group announced it has sold a 1.2 per cent stake in India’s Bharti Airtel for S$2 billion. Over 26.9 million Singtel shares worth S$102.1 million were traded.
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Outside the index, Singapore Post climbed 2.7 per cent or S$0.015 to S$0.575, on the back of the company reporting an underlying net loss of S$461,000 for the second half ended Mar 31.
OCBC Investment Research on Friday maintained its hold call on the counter, saying that further clarity was needed for the group’s future growth.
The local bank counters finished mixed. DBS, which traded ex-dividend, fell 1.1 per cent or S$0.50 to S$44.60. UOB edged up slightly by S$0.01 to S$35.50. OCBC gained 0.5 per cent or S$0.08 to S$16.32.
Outside Singapore, regional indices ended mixed. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index fell 0.5 per cent, while South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.2 per cent. The Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite Index slid 0.1 per cent; Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed flat.
