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Roundup: Singapore stocks end down 0.81 pct

Xinhua, January 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

Singapore shares closed 0.81 percent lower on Friday, as investors waited anxiously for China's official manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) reports data due on Sunday.

Investors shrugged off rally in Wall Street overnight. Major U. S. indexes surged almost 1 percent or more as Apple and Boeing shares jumped after strong earnings reports this week. U.S. jobless claims figures also helped sentiment, with the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits last week falling to its lowest since April 2000.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index fell 27.85 points to 3,391.20 points. Trading volume was 1.52 billion shares worth 1.76 billion Singapore dollars. Decliners outnumbered advancers 231 to 212, while 497 stocks did not move.

Among top actives, Singapore Telecommunications inched up 0.2 percent to 4.08 Singapore dollars. It formed a joint venture start- up named HOOQ with Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros Entertainment to offer a video service in Asia. The regional over- the-top (OTT) service will deliver Hollywood blockbusters and television series, as well as popular local movies and programs by enabling customers to stream and download the shows on their device or platform of choice.

Midas Holdings closed flat at 34 Singapore cents. Its Sino- foreign joint venture company, Nanjing SR Puzhen Rail Transport ( NPRT), has secured a 374.7-million-Singapore dollar metro train contract with a consortium partner. The contract was awarded by Shanghai Rail Transit Line 13 Development for the Shanghai Metro Line 13 Phases 2 and 3, with delivery scheduled between 2016 and 2017.

Hi-P International dropped 3.4 percent to 70.5 Singapore cents. It said it is expected to report lower revenue in fourth quarter of 2014 as compared to the same period in previous year, but higher revenue as compared to third quarter last year. It has previously guided higher revenue in fourth quarter of 2014 as compared to a year ago. The variance in guidance was mainly due to demand drop from certain customers and lower than forecasted yields on certain new products during the production ramp-up. Despite the lower revenue, Hi-P expected to be profitable in fourth quarter as previously guided.

Among top gainers, Jardine Cycle and Carriage rose 0.4 percent to 42.30 Singapore dollars, while Jardine Matheson became one of the top losers by falling 1.9 percent to 64.07 U.S. dollars. (1 U. S. dollar equals to 1.35 Singapore dollars) Endi