SINGAPORE - Stocks here managed to eke out gains on a quiet session after the Christmas holiday, with most of the gains coming in the final minutes of trading.

The Straits Times Index (STI) added 7.8 points or 0.2 per cent to 3,353.7.

There were just 771.8 million shares worth $382.8 million changing hands.

For the holiday-shortened week, the STI was up 74 points or 2.3 per cent.

The muted performance here was similar to the 0.1 per cent gain put in by both Tokyo and Seoul.

Other Asian markets - like Hong Kong, Australia, Indonesia and the Philippines - remained closed for trading on Boxing Day.

Trading in China continued to sparkle, with the Shanghai Composite Index soaring 2.8 per cent to 3,157.6.