Roundup: Singapore stocks end up 0.76 pct

Singapore shares closed 0.76 percent higher on Monday, after U.S. stocks jumped last Friday due to a better-than-expected U.S. jobs report.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an increase in non-farm payrolls of 211,000 jobs in November, compared with market estimates of an increase of 200,000, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged at 5.0 percent. The strong job numbers cleared the way for the U.S. Federal Reserve to raise interest rates next week for the first time since 2006.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index rose 21.87 points to 2,900.92 points. Trading volume was 893 million shares worth 759 million Singapore dollars. Advancers slightly outnumbered decliners 200 to 199, while 534 stocks did not move.

Neptune Orient Lines halted trading of its shares prior to the market's opening on Monday. It is in exclusive talks with French shipping company CMA CGM to be acquired, valid till late on Monday, for CMA CGM to complete due diligence on Neptune Orient Lines and negotiate definitive agreements on the offer.

SembCorp Industries rose 1.6 percent to 3.15 Singapore dollars. It said its wholly owned subsidiary, SembCorp Utilities, has signed a memorandum of agreement with Myanmar's Department of Electric Power Planning to invest in and develop a 300 million U.S. dollar gas-fired power plant in central Myanmar. Located in the Myingyan district of the Mandalay division, the 225-megawatt facility will be the largest gas-fired independent power plant in Myanmar when completed in 2018, and will ease the country's severe power deficit.

Among top gainers, Jardine Matheson rose 1.3 percent to 50.40 U.S. dollars, while Hong Kong Land became one of the top losers by falling 1.7 percent to 7.11 U.S. dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 1.40 Singapore dollars) Enditem