Local shares clawed back early losses to end higher on the back of news that Singapore has called a general election.
The end of uncertainty about when the polls would be called helped send the Straits Times Index up 5.23 points, or 0.2 per cent, to 2,634.92, with 1.57 billion shares worth $1.5 billion changing hands. Gainers pipped losers 212 to 207.
Wilmar International was the largest gainer among index constituents, with the stock up 7.73 per cent to $4.18, prompting queries from the bourse.
The agri-food group said yesterday that its 99.99 per cent-owned subsidiary, Yihai Kerry Arawana Holdings, has submitted an updated prospectus to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange for review.
The spin-off of its Chinese unit has often been cited by analysts as a catalyst for its stock price, even if Wilmar has continued to say there is no assurance that the proposed listing will proceed.
Jardine Matheson was the biggest loser on the index, declining 4.29 per cent to US$41.50. The volatile counter has lost 25 per cent in the year so far.
Oceanus Group, which closed flat at 0.4 cent, was the most active counter on the market with close to 70 million shares done. The abalone producer said last week that it had obtained approval for a time extension until March 1 next year to meet the financial-exit criteria to leave the Singapore Exchange watch-list.
It also said it should be able to continue operating as a going concern.
Regional markets were mostly up although there was a brief drop in Asian trading after White House adviser Peter Navarro sowed confusion over the United States-China trade deal.
But most markets reversed course after US President Donald Trump later said the US-China trade pact was "fully intact".
Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed 1.62 per cent higher, while Shanghai shares rose 0.18 per cent.
South Korea's Kospi added 0.21 per cent and Japan's Nikkei rose 0.5 per cent. Australian stocks fell in early trade but reversed swiftly to end 0.2 per cent higher.
Mr Henry Jennings, senior analyst at Marcus Today financial newsletter, said the volatility in trading goes to show "how skittish the market is".
"Investors are trying to balance the US Federal Reserve support stimulus with the deteriorating economy and the fact that we are seeing coronavirus cases spike in some places."
Rabobank's Michael Every described the brief but sudden drop as "a taste of things to come" as risk sentiment may be fragile.
• Additional reporting by Reuters, Bloomberg
