Post by : Shakul

Singapore’s stock market ended nearly unchanged on Friday as investors remained cautious despite signs of stability across Asian markets. The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) edged up slightly by 0.03 percent, gaining 1.69 points to close at 4,848.25. Despite the small daily increase, the blue-chip index recorded a weekly decline of about 2.9 percent.

Regional markets across Asia also posted modest gains during the trading session. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index rose about 1.7 percent, Japan’s Nikkei 225 increased 0.6 percent, and South Korea’s Kospi index moved slightly higher. Malaysia’s FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI also gained around 0.3 percent, reflecting cautious optimism among investors.

Market analysts said global financial markets were showing signs of stabilisation after recent volatility caused by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management, noted that risk assets appeared to be stabilising as pressure from the strengthening US dollar and rising oil prices had eased slightly. However, he warned that market calm remained fragile and largely depended on crude oil prices staying within a stable range.

Across the broader Singapore market, winners outnumbered losers, with 342 stocks advancing compared with 233 decliners. Around 1.4 billion securities were traded during the session, with a total value of approximately 2.1 billion Singapore dollars.

Among the top performers on the Straits Times Index was property developer Hongkong Land, which rose about 2.8 percent during the session. On the other hand, City Developments was the biggest loser among blue-chip stocks, falling around 1.9 percent.

Singapore’s three major banks delivered mixed performances. DBS Bank slipped slightly, while OCBC Bank also posted a minor decline. United Overseas Bank (UOB), however, recorded a small gain by the end of trading.

During the week, defence and engineering group ST Engineering emerged as the best-performing STI component with a strong gain of nearly 9.8 percent. Meanwhile, Jardine Matheson Holdings recorded the largest weekly decline, dropping about 8.5 percent. Airline and aviation-related stocks such as Singapore Airlines and Sats also saw notable losses during the week as investors remained cautious about travel sector risks amid global uncertainties.

#world news #Global News #Asia News