SINGAPORE (THE BUSINESS TIMES) - Local shares, along with other stock markets in Asia, took their cue from advances on Wall Street, closing higher on Tuesday.
The benchmark Straits Times Index advanced 0.7 per cent to finish the day at 2,917.29. Across the broader market, advancers outnumbered decliners 300 to 175, with 2.71 billion securities worth some $1.38 billion changing hands.
Elsewhere in Asia, the Nikkei 225 was up 1 per cent, the Hang Seng Index gained 1.2 per cent while the Kospi added 1.3 per cent.
Malaysia's KLCI rose as well, by 0.9 per cent, despite the country's extension of its movement control order to Feb 18.
Axi chief global market strategist Stephen Innes said:
"The most comforting blanket for investors is that the macro outlook has not changed materially in recent weeks."
The biggest loser for the day was Great Eastern Holdings. The counter closed 0.8 per cent lower at $20.72.
Other top decliners included UOB, which fell 0.4 per cent to $23.45, and Spindex Industries, which slipped 5.6 per cent to $0.93.
Jardine Matheson Holdings was the biggest advancer for the day, closing at US$58.83, up 2.1 per cent.
iFast Corporation extended its gains by another 6.4 per cent to finish the day at $6.78.
Of the 30 constituent stocks, only four were in the red. The constituent losers were Mapletree Industrial Trust, Mapletree Logistics Trust, OCBC Bank and UOB.
Oceanus was the most heavily traded stock for the second consecutive day, with some 550.8 million shares changing hands. The counter closed at 6.6 cents, up 6.5 per cent.
Other heavily traded stocks included Jiutian Chemical, AusGroup and Sembcorp Marine.
