Off the wire
• Xinhua summary of Asia-Pacific stocks news at 1100 GMT, June 4  • Lawsuits soar after Chinese courts ease filing procedure  • Floods plunge China into emergency response  • Blatter could possibly attend Women's World Cup final  • Xinhua Asia-Pacific news summary at 1000 GMT, June 4  • China honors military divers for Yangtze River search efforts  • Roundup: Philippine bourse closes almost flat on lack of clear leads  • Weather forecast for world cities -- June 4  • Weather forecast for major Chinese cities, regions -- June 4  • Weather information for Asia-Pacific cities  
You are here: 　 Home

Roundup: Singapore stocks end down 0.14 pct

Xinhua, June 4, 2015 Adjust font size:

Singapore shares closed 0.14 percent lower on Thursday amid renewed concern over whether an agreement can be reached on Greek debt.

While French President Francois Hollande said Greece and its creditors are on the brink of a long-awaited cash-for-reform deal, adding that any accord should be balanced, Greece threatened to miss a loan repayment to the International Monetary Fund this week, opening the way for possible default.

Meanwhile, U.S. stocks rose overnight after economic data showed the U.S. trade deficit narrowed in April while private employers picked up hiring in May. The data came ahead of the U.S. non-farm payrolls report on Friday, which includes both public and private-sector employment.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index fell 4.84 points to 3, 345 points. Trading volume was 1.66 billion shares worth 1.56 billion Singapore dollars. Decliners outnumbered advancers 298 to 140, while 522 stocks did not move.

Among top actives, Noble Group shed 3.5 percent to 69.5 Singapore cents. The Singapore-listed commodities trading company had fallen about 39 percent year-to-date, following disappointing first quarter results and accusations of accounting irregularities which it denied. The founder and chairman Richard Elman had increased his stake in the company, as had two other major shareholders in recent weeks.

Singapore Exchange dropped 1.5 percent to 8.11 Singapore dollars. It reported securities turnover in May was 23 billion Singapore dollars, down 2 percent on-year and down 13 percent on- month, with daily average trading value at 1.1 billion Singapore dollars, down 2 percent on-year and 9 percent on-month. Meanwhile, its chief executive officer (CEO) Magnus Bocker will leave in June, ending his five-year tenure. The company had hired an advisory firm Spencer Stuart to begin a search for a new CEO and has yet to announce Bocker's successor.

Among top gainers, DBS Group rose 1.3 percent to 20.38 Singapore dollars, while Jardine Cycle and Carriage became one of the top losers by falling 0.4 percent to 37.75 Singapore dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 1.34 Singapore dollars) Endi