MARKET UPDATES :
- The Straits Times Index (STI) ended +26.28 points higher or +0.78% to 3412.44, taking the year-to-date per- formance to +1.41%.
- The FTSE ST Mid Cap Index gained +0.18% while the FTSE ST Small Cap Index gained +0.36%. The top active stocks were SingTel (+1.18%), DBS (+0.50%), UOB (+1.10%), Keppel Corp (+1.84%) and Noble (+2.94%).
- The outperforming sectors today were represented by the FTSE ST Oil & Gas Index (+2.04%). The two biggest stocks of the FTSE ST Oil & Gas Index are Keppel Corp (+1.84%) and Sembcorp Industries (+0.70%). The un- derperforming sector was the FTSE ST Basic Materials Index, which declined -1.82% with Midas Holdings’s share price declining -1.72% and Geo Energy Resources’s share price unchanged.
- The three most active Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) by value today were the SPDR Gold Shares (+0.43%), ISHARES USD Asia Bond ETF (unchanged), STI ETF (+0.89%).
- The three most active Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) by value were Ascendas REIT (+4.00%), Capita- Com Trust (-2.30%), CapitaMall Trust (-0.46%).
- The most active index warrants by value today were HSI24400VTePW150429 (+2.26%), HSI24800V- TePW150429 (unchanged), HSI24200MBePW150429 (+3.36%).
- The most active stock warrants by value today were DBS MB eCW150420 (+11.97%), OCBC Bk MBeCW150803 (+8.99%), UOB MB eCW150701 (+13.08%).
Tokyo (Nikkei Average NIK, +1.07% ) up 1.1%
Hong Kong (Hang Seng Index HSI, +0.57% ) up 0.6%
Shanghai (Shanghai Composite Index SHCOMP, +1.63% ) up 1.6% (at break)
Sydney (S&P/ASX 200 XJO, -0.06% ) flat
Seoul (Kospi SEU, +0.20% ) up 0.1%
Mumbai (Sensex 1, +0.24% ) up 0.3%
Taipei (Taiex Y9999, +0.20% ) up 0.2%
Asian markets mostly advanced Monday following rallies on Wall Street and in Europe, while the dollar continued to struggle after the Federal Reserve dampened expectations for an early interest rate hike.
Tokyo rose 0.83 per cent, Hong Kong gained 0.37 per cent, Seoul added 0.10 per cent and Shanghai was up 0.63 per cent, marking a ninth successive rise. Sydney eased 0.34 per cent.
With few catalysts to drive business early in the week investors took their lead from their US counterparts, who have been cheered by the Fed's dovish comments on rates.
While the central bank opened the door Wednesday for a rise this year, it said there were still weaknesses in the US economy, including low inflation and soft manufacturing. The news sent global shares soaring and the dollar tumbling.
