Roundup: Singapore stocks end up 1.36 pct

Singapore shares closed 1.36 percent higher on Wednesday, tracking gains in U.S. markets overnight.

Investors bought shares ahead of Friday's U.S. non-farm payrolls report and focus is on whether the data will support the case for the U.S. Federal Reserve to hike interest rates in December.

Before Friday's non-farm payrolls, investors will have a chance to gauge the health of the U.S. economy through the ADP employment data and the ISM report on services sector sentiment due later Wednesday.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index surged 40.92 points to 3,040.48 points. Trading volume was 1.83 billion shares worth 1.03 billion Singapore dollars. Advancers outnumbered decliners 255 to 138, while 538 stocks did not move.

Among top actives, Biosensors International Group Limited soared 19.9 percent to 81.5 Singapore cents. The medical device manufacturer said CB Medical Holdings Limited, a substantial shareholder in Biosensors and an investment vehicle of CITIC Private Equity Fund, raises its offer price for the company's shares a second time to 84 Singapore cents per share.

The directors of Biosensors and CB Medical Holdings have approved the plan.

CapitaLand Limited rose 2.9 percent to 3.21 Singapore dollars. The Southeast Asia's largest property developer reported its third-quarter profit after tax and minority interest soared 48.3 percent to 192.7 million Singapore dollars compared with the same period last year, due to better performance across all business units.

Its quarterly revenue also rose 17.1 percent on the year. It said it remains focused on Singapore and China as core markets, while it continues to expand in growth markets such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Among the top gainers, Jardine Matheson jumped 3.8 percent to 55.01 U.S. dollars, whereas Dairy Farm International became one of the top losers by falling 2.9 percent to 6.31 U.S. dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 1.40 Singapore dollars) Enditem