Off the wire
• Economic experts urge Africa to increase financial inclusion  • Bangladesh reports first case of Zika virus  • Greece expresses solidarity with Belgium after blasts  • Botswana lady to attend Yenching Global Symposium in China  • Singapore authorities to look into strengthening safety procedures after train accident  • Brussels attacks mark another low by terrorists: EU head  • China Focus: Farmers cut grain cultivation as prices plunge  • Spotlight: Serial rush-hour blasts wreak havoc at "heart of Europe"  • Malaysia says suspected plane engine part found in South Africa  • ZTE to continue to work with U.S. after sanction lifted  
You are here: 　 Home

Singapore stocks end almost flat

Xinhua, March 22, 2016 Adjust font size:

Singapore shares closed nearly unchanged on Tuesday, as many investors turned cautious following hawkish remarks by two U.S. Federal Reserve officials overnight.

Atlanta Federal Reserve President Dennis Lockhart said the central bank might be in line for a rate hike as soon as April, as policymakers' decision to hold rates steady last week was more about ensuring recent global financial volatility had settled down.

San Francisco Federal Reserve President John Williams also said overnight he would advocate another hike as early as April.

Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index inched down 0.04 points to 2,880.65 points. Trading volume was 1.99 billion shares worth 1.23 billion Singapore dollars. Decliners slightly outnumbered advancers 193 to 191, while 537 stocks did not move.

StarHub Limited lost 0.6 percent to 3.32 Singapore dollars. It has inked a memorandum of understanding with the world's largest mobile operator, China Mobile, to give its mobile customers a seamless cross-border user experience. Both companies will collaborate on five key areas: device, data analytics, mobile business, network and innovation and the Internet of Things.

BreadTalk Group Limited fell 1.9 percent to 1.03 Singapore dollars. It has priced 75 million Singapore dollar of its bonds at par value of the principal, with a coupon rate of 4.6 percent.

The notes, part of its 250 million Singapore dollar multicurrency medium-term note program, will be due April 1, 2019. The bonds are expected to be issued on April 1, and will be listed on Singapore Exchange the next trading day.

Among the top gainers, Jardine Strategic rose 3.3 percent to 30.12 U.S. dollars, whereas Great Eastern Holdings became one of the top losers by falling 1.2 percent to 21.86 Singapore dollars. (1 U.S. dollar equals to 1.36 Singapore dollars) Enditem