SINGAPORE shares started trading in negative territory on Wednesday (Sep 4), mirroring overnight losses in global markets.
As at 9.01 am, the Straits Times Index (STI) opened 1.7 per cent or 57.63 points lower at 3,422.71. Across the broader market, losers outnumbered gainers 125 to 16 after 50.9 million securities worth S$83.9 million changed hands.
The most actively traded counter by volume was Wilton Resources, which gained 22.2 per cent or S$0.002 to S$0.011, with 8.2 million shares changing hands.
Units of CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust lost 4.2 per cent or S$0.09 to S$2.04. This came after its private placement closed at S$2.04 apiece. Gross proceeds of about S$350.3 million from the placement will be used to finance the proposed acquisition of a 50 per cent stake in Ion Orchard and its connecting underpass.
Seatrium shares were also briskly traded, falling 1.9 per cent or S$0.03 to S$1.54.
Banking stocks were trading down at the open. DBS tumbled 2 per cent or S$0.74 to S$36.51. OCBC decreased 2.4 per cent or S$0.35 to S$14.42. UOB slipped 1.6 per cent or S$0.52 to S$31.42.
Wall street ended Tuesday lower as Nvidia and other semiconductor equities retreated ahead of key jobs data later in the week.
The tech-focused Nasdaq finished at 17,136.3, down 3.3 per cent in the market’s first session in September following Monday’s holiday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.5 per cent to 40,936.93, while the broad-based S&P 500 shed 2.1 per cent to 5,528.93.
In Europe, shares fell in their worst session in nearly a month as US manufacturing data raised concerns about a slowdown in global growth. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index dropped 1 per cent to 519.84.
