The blue chip Straits Times Index rose 8.92 points to 3,207.43 on volume of 1.51 billion shares worth 1.66 billion Singapore dollars.

Rising issues led decliners 334 to 274 with 953 stocks unchanged.

The United States Labor Department on Wednesday said US consumer prices rose a moderate 0.2 per cent in April, as energy costs appeared to stabilise after sharp gains earlier this year.

'Local investors are not likely to be overly optimistic about the better-than-expected US inflation number,' Westcomb Securities said.

Chan Wai Chee, research head at Phillip Securities, said 'investors are still afraid' and are sticking to blue chips and dividend plays.

Banking shares were mixed, with DBS Group rising four cents to 20.06 Singapore dollars, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp up five cents at 8.88 and United Overseas Bank slipping two cents to 20.38.

Among property heavyweights, CapitaLand gained nine cents to 6.71, Keppel Land up six cents at 5.76 and City Developments steady at 11.70 after reporting on Wednesday a 30.8 per cent rise in first-quarter net profit. Blue chip Neptune Orient Lines gained 12 cents to 3.88, a day after reporting that its first-quarter profit ballooned 183 percent compared with the same period last year, supported by higher container volumes.

Singapore Airlines jumped 24 cents to 16.02 and Singapore Telecommunications finished four cents lower at 3.69. On Wednesday SingTel reported a 4.8 percent increase in annual net profit. -- AFP