SINGAPORE stocks started trading in negative territory on Wednesday (Dec 18) morning, mirroring overnight losses in global markets.
As at 9.01 am, the Straits Times Index (STI) opened 0.2 per cent or 6.16 points lower at 3,793.77. Across the broader market, gainers outnumbered losers 47 to 45 after 18.9 million securities worth S$32.1 million changed hands.
One of the most actively traded counters by volume was beverage manufacturer Thai Beverage, which lost 0.9 per cent or S$0.005 to S$0.555, with 1.2 million shares changing hands.
Shares of property company Wee Hur were also briskly traded, rising 1.2 per cent or S$0.005 to S$0.43. Singtel’s shares gained 0.3 per cent or S$0.01 to S$3.14.
Local banking stocks were trading down at the open. DBS slipped 0.4 per cent or S$0.16 to S$44.05. UOB declined 0.6 per cent or S$0.23 to S$36.47. OCBC fell 0.6 per cent or S$0.10 to S$16.85.
Wall Street stocks ended lower on Tuesday as markets awaited a Federal Reserve interest-rate decision. The Fed is expected to cut interest rates again on Wednesday.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished down 0.6 per cent at 43,449.9. The broad-based S&P 500 declined 0.4 per cent to 6,050.61, while the Nasdaq Composite Index shed 0.3 per cent to 20,109.06.
In Europe, shares fell to two-week lows, weighed down by energy and bank stocks, as investors anticipated a slew of major central bank decisions later in the week. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index ended 0.4 per cent lower at 513.66 points, its lowest closing level since Dec 2.
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