Singapore stocks finish flat as most regional bourses gain
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The Straits Times Index fell 0.02 per cent or 0.83 point to close at 4,569.78.
ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Navene Elangovan
- Singapore's Straits Times Index (STI) remained flat, dropping 0.02% to 4,569.78, while the iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index decreased by 0.1%.
- City Developments Limited led gains, rising 4%, while Yangzijiang Shipbuilding experienced the biggest decline at 2.9%; OCBC increased, but DBS and UOB decreased.
- Regional markets rose, with Japan's Nikkei up 1% after a rate hike; despite this, further BoJ rate increases before June 2026 are "unlikely".
AI generated
SINGAPORE – Local shares ended flat on Dec 19, even as most regional bourses closed higher.
The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) fell 0.02 per cent, or 0.83 point, to close at 4,569.78. Meanwhile, the iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index shed 0.1 per cent, or 1.51 points, to 1,434.85.
Property developer City Developments was the top blue-chip gainer, rising 4 per cent, or 31 cents, to close at $7.98.
Yangzijiang Shipbuilding was the largest decliner on the STI, falling 2.9 per cent, or 10 cents, to $3.37.
Among the trio of local banks, OCBC Bank ended higher, rising 0.3 per cent, or five cents, to $19.55. DBS Bank fell 0.5 per cent, or 25 cents, to $54.87. UOB slipped 0.09 per cent, or three cents, to $34.70.
CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust was the most actively traded counter on the STI by volume, with 58.7 million units worth $137.5 million traded. The counter closed 0.4 per cent, or one cent, higher at $2.34.
Across the broader market, advancers outnumbered decliners 329 to 177, after 1.3 billion securities worth $2.1 billion changed hands.
Key regional indexes mostly ended higher. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 1 per cent after the country’s central bank hiked benchmark interest rates to 0.75 per cent, its highest in three decades.
Mr Sam Jochim, an economist at private bank EFG, said there is room for the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to increase interest rates further in 2026. However, another rate hike before next June is unlikely, as it will depend on developments during the annual spring wage negotiations period.
“The pace of future monetary policy tightening will remain very gradual, despite the BOJ remaining behind the curve even after today’s decision,” he said.
South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.7 per cent, while Australia’s ASX 200 gained 0.4 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index advanced 0.8 per cent. THE BUSINESS TIMES
