MARKET UPDATES :
- The Straits Times Index (STI) ended +24.41 points higher or +0.73% to 3386.16, taking the year-to-date per- formance to +0.62%.
- The FTSE ST Mid Cap Index gained +0.45% while the FTSE ST Small Cap Index declined -0.01%. The top active stocks were SingTel (+2.42%), DBS (+0.30%), Noble (-1.73%), OCBC Bank (+1.27%) and UOB (+0.22%).
- The outperforming sectors today were represented by the FTSE ST Telecommunications Index (+2.18%). The two biggest stocks of the FTSE ST Telecommunications Index are SingTel (+2.42%) and StarHub (+0.24%). The underperforming sector was the FTSE ST Industrials Index, which declined -0.64% with Jardine Matheson Holdings’ share price declining -0.70 % and Jardine Strategic Holdings’ share price declining -1.00%.
- The three most active Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) by value today were the SPDR Gold Shares (+1.69%), Lyxor China H (+0.67%), IS MSCI India (unchanged).
- The three most active Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) by value were Ascendas REIT (+2.04%), Capita- Mall Trust (+4.35%), CapitaCom Trust (+2.35%).
- The most active index warrants by value today were HSI24400MBeCW150429 (+26.79%), HSI24400V- TePW150429 (-17.90%), HSI25000MBeCW150429 (+28.38%).
- The most active stock warrants by value today were DBS MB eCW150420 (+8.33%), UOB MB eCW150701 (- 2.73%), KepCorp MBeCW150901 (+5.62%).
The dollar recovered against its rivals Thursday after an unexpectedly dovish statement from Federal Reserve policy makers triggered the largest intraday selloff in the buck since 2009.
The euro EURUSD, +0.19% traded at $1.0653, compared with $1.0831 at Wednesday’s close. The single currency briefly climbed above $1.10 after the close of the Fed’s news conference, its highest intraday level in two weeks.
The U.S. Dollar index DXY, -0.13% a measure of the dollar’s strength against six rival currencies, fell 3.6% intraday on Wednesday, its largest move since a 3.7% decline in March 2009. The index bounced back to 98.0760, up 0.5% on the day.
Against the yen, the dollar USDJPY, -0.02% on Thursday fetched ¥120.81 compared with ¥120.09 late Wednesday.
Losses in natural-gas prices worsened Thursday from earlier trading after the EIA reported a decline of 45 billion cubic feet in last week’s supplies. That was a bit less than the market expected. April natural gas NGJ15, +0.53% fell 10.7 cents, or 3.7%, to end at $2.813 per million British thermal units.
Back on Nymex, petroleum products pulled back after a rally a day earlier. April gasoline RBJ5, -0.08% fell 2.5 cents, or 1.4%, to $1.774 a gallon and April heating oil HOJ5, -0.08% ended at $1.722 a gallon, down 5 cents, or 2.8%.
