SINGAPORE - Shares fell after a return to trade following Monday's break for a public holiday, with the Straits Times Index ending the day down by 9.25 points or 0.28 per cent at 3,243.99.

Some 1.34 billion shares worth a total value of $1 billion exchanged hands.

Losers outnumbered gainers by a count of 239 to 142, while 404 counters were unchanged.

Investors have had to grapple with contradictory news that came out over the weekend and are likely to stay on the sidelines to await clearer signs from the third quarter corporate earnings season before committing themselves.

The top volume counter was penny stock Compact Metal, which added 0.1 cent to 5.5 cents, with 112.9 million shares changing hands.

Elsewhere, Hong Kong rose 0.5 per cent, Tokyo dropped 0.7 per cent, Seoul added 0.2 per cent and Sydney slipped 0.16 per cent.

Shanghai remains closed for China's Golden Week public holiday. It will resume trading on Wednesday.