SINGAPORE equities ushered in the New Year on a high note, rising at the opening bell on Thursday (Jan 2).
As at 9.01 am, the Straits Times Index (STI) climbed 0.2 per cent or 5.73 points to 3,793.33. Across the broader market, gainers outnumbered losers 63 to 40 after 56.6 million securities worth S$32.8 million changed hands.
Hiap Seng Industries was the most actively traded counter in terms of volume at the open with 10.5 million of its shares transacted, though the investment holding company’s share price remained unchanged at S$0.007.
Index counter Thai Beverage gained S$0.005 or 0.9 per cent to S$0.55 amid heavy volumes, while Myanmar-focused company Yoma Strategic rose S$0.003 or 4.1 per cent to S$0.076.
The three local banks were mixed in early trade with DBS leading gains at S$43.78, up S$0.06 or 0.1 per cent. Shares of UOB rose S$0.03 or 0.1 per cent to S$36.36, while OCBC fell S$0.04 or 0.2 per cent to S$16.65.
Wall Street lost ground on Tuesday, before the New Year break, as all three major US stock indices ended in negative territory after a languid, low-volume session. The S&P 500 lost 0.4 per cent to end at 5,881.63, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.9 per cent to 19,310.79. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.1 per cent to 42,544.22.
European equities clocked their worst quarterly showing in more than two years on Tuesday, as uncertainty around interest rates and the Trump administration’s policies halted a rally that had pushed several markets to record highs in 2024. The pan-European Stoxx 600 added 0.1 per cent to conclude the final trading session of the year at 507.62. It, however, declined by about 3 per cent for the quarter – the index’s biggest since July 2022.
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