Singapore stocks rise amid mixed regional showing; STI up 0.3%

SINGAPORE – Stocks on the local bourse closed higher on Feb 20, even as regional markets turned in a mixed performance with investors evaluating escalating US-Iran tensions.

The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) gained 0.3 per cent, or 16.04 points, to finish at 5,017.60. Meanwhile, the iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index gained 0.7 per cent, or 10.48 points, to 1,521.21.

Across the broader market, losers beat gainers 304 to 280 after 1.4 billion securities worth $2 billion changed hands.

The top performer among the STI constituents was Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, which gained 2.5 per cent to end at $3.73.

CapitaLand Investment came in at the bottom of the table, falling 1.3 per cent to close at $3.11.

Key regional indexes were mixed. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index and Japan’s Nikkei 225 both fell 1.1 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi rose 2.3 per cent. Malaysia’s FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI was almost flat.

This came as oil prices rose to their highest level since August 2025, following heightened geopolitical risks after US President Donald Trump warned Tehran that it had a “maximum” 15 days to reach a deal with the US

or “bad things will happen”

.

“Market reactions from a risk scenario would include a rise in commodity prices, including gold, and more volatile equity markets as the energy sector adjusts,” said Dr Nannette Hechler-Fayd’herbe, chief investment officer for Europe, Middle East and Africa and head of investment strategy, sustainability and research at Lombard Odier.

The private bank expects “strong demand for haven assets, and government bond yield curves to steepen as inflation expectations rise and central banks assess the prospect of slower economic growth”, she said. She added that the bank’s base case remains a negotiated outcome, noting this view is consistent with the relative calm seen in financial markets so far.

THE BUSINESS TIMES