SINGAPORE - Weak market sentiment pushed local stocks down on Wednesday (Sept 13), as Pyongyang jumped back into the fray with talk of upping its weapons programme.

The benchmark Straits Times Index lost 5.33 points, or 0.16 per cent, to end the day at 3,230.36 points.

All three local banks closed lower or unchanged, with DBS down by 11 cents, or 0.5 per cent, to S$20.38; UOB lower by 10 cents, or 0.4 per cent, at S$23.22; and OCBC flat at S$11.02.

One hot stock was electronics services provider Venture, which added S$1.50, or 9.8 per cent, to close at S$16.75 the day after chief executive Wong Ngit Liong sank S$6.1 million into buying 400,000 shares.

About 3.9 million shares changed hands on Wednesday, with the share price hitting a high of S$16.80 - a surge that prompted a query from the Singapore Exchange.

Also up was Great Eastern, in spite of media reports that more than 300 of its agents have been poached by a competitor. The insurer closed up by nine cents, or 0.3 per cent, at S$26.00.

Fresh off the news of a 66 million euro Dublin data centre purchase, Keppel DC Reit still lost half a cent, or 0.4 per cent, to close at S$1.29.