Oil Market Update

Oil futures fell on Monday, pressured by expectations that talks over Iran’s nuclear program could result in an easing of sanctions against the crude exporter.

Prices also headed lower as the turmoil in Yemen looked unlikely to disrupt oil transport in the region.

Crude for delivery in May CLK5, -1.25%  fell 19 cents, or 0.4%, to close at $48.68 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. May Brent crude LCOK5, -0.76%  on London’s ICE Futures exchange fell 12 cents to $56.29 a barrel.

Copper Market Update

Elsewhere, May copper HGK5, -0.36%  added 1.4 cents, or 0.5%, to end at $2.782 a pound. April platinum PLJ5, +0.27%  fell $26.70, or 2.3%, to $1,116.90 an ounce.

June palladium PAM5, +0.45%  settled lower by $12, or 1.6%, at $729 an ounce.

Gold Market Update

Gold futures settled lower for a second session on Monday as strength in the dollar and a rally in equities drew investors away from the precious metals market.

Gold for April delivery GCJ5, -0.36%  shed $15, or 1.3%, to settle at $1,184.80 an ounce on Comex. May silver SIK5, -1.19%  lost 39.5 cents, or 2.3%, to $16.674 an ounce.

“Gold is struggling with rally fade once again with the shine being taken off by prevailing dollar strength,” said Ross Norman, chief executive officer at Sharps Pixley.

Current Market Update

Tokyo (Nikkei Average NIK, +0.23% ) up 0.3% 
Hong Kong (Hang Seng Index HSI, +0.47% ) up 0.5% 
Shanghai (Shanghai Composite Index SHCOMP, +0.11% ) up 0.1% (at break) 
Sydney (S&P/ASX 200 XJO, +0.91% ) up 0.9% 
Seoul (Kospi SEU, +0.27% ) up 0.3% 
Mumbai (Sensex 1, +0.32% ) up 0.3% 
Taipei (Taiex Y9999, +0.34% ) up 0.2%

Asian Market Update

Asian stocks rallied, with the regional index headed for its biggest quarterly advance since 2012 amid optimism over global economic stimulus. The dollar maintained gains, while crude oil extended losses into a third day.

The MSCI Asia Pacific Index snapped a three-day drop, rising 0.5 per cent by 9.58am in Tokyo to be set for a 6.8 per cent advance over the past three months. Standard & Poor's 500 Index futures added 0.1 per cent following a second day of gains in the US gauge.

Japanese and Australian indexes jumped more than 0.7 per cent, with the yen and Australia's dollar near one-week lows. The South Korean won weakened 0.3 per cent. US oil slid 0.9 per cent, while gold held two days of declines.

Global equities have climbed almost 3 per cent this year as central banks from Europe to Asia bolster stimulus to address slowing growth. China announced measures aimed at stemming a property slump Monday after central bank Governor Zhou Xiaochuan said more can be done to support the economy.

SGX Singapore Opening Market Update

SINGAPORE share prices opened higher on Tuesday, with the Straits Times Index up 12.19 points or 0.35 per cent to 3,466.45 as at 9.01am, following rebounds in US and European markets.

Top gainers in early morning trade included Jardine C&C, DBS and Keppel Corp.

A total of 110.2 million shares worth S$274.3 million had changed hands as at 9.01am, on the last day of the first quarter of 2015. Gainers outnumbered losers 105 to 36.

SGX Singapore Closing Market Update

One gauge of market activity - or quality if you prefer - is the average value per unit traded. This is obtained by dividing the dollar value by turnover, the resulting number giving an idea of where the market's energies or interests were for the session in question.

For most of the first quarter of 2014 this statistic was well under S$0.50, indicating a preference for lower-priced or penny stocks. In the early part of this year, the figure hovered around S$1, which indicated a shift towards higher-priced issues - a shift that could roughly be interpreted to show a move from low- to higher-quality issues.

In Monday's session, however, dollar volume of S$959 million from unit volume of 1.6 billion yielded an average value of S$0.60 per unit traded, an uncomfortable result for those who were hoping the shift to higher-priced stocks would continue.

The Straits Times Index in the meantime, managed a 4.16 points gain at 3,454.26 on the second last trading day of the quarter, not a great outcome for those who bought at the end of last week in anticipation of a window-dressing push, but then again, there is still one more day to go. It was the index's fifth consecutive rise and the advance-decline score was 228-188 excluding warrants.

IForex Signal Update

Forex EURUSD Recommendation of 30 - MARCH. - 2015

✔We Hit FIRST TARGET ✔

International Forex #EURUSD HITS TARGET PLEASE BOOK PARTIAL PROFIT

■■ Buy EUR/USD Above 1.0850-TG: 1.0870/1.0900 SL 1.0820

SGX Singapore News Update

REITs, Stapled and Business Trusts Offer High Yields

The 28 REITs listed on SGX have averaged a 4.6% YTD gain, similar to 11 listed Business Trusts average 5.7% YTD advance - bringing their average one-year total return to 18.4% each. The six listed Stapled Trusts have posted an average 2.1% YTD gain, taking their average one-year total return to 10.5%.

The average dividend yield for REITs is 6.2%, with 6.3% for Business Trusts, and 7.3% for Stapled Trusts, all of which are more than twice the yield of the Singapore Fixed Income Index (SFI) at 2.9%.

Dividend and yield stocks have remained in focus amid expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise rates slowly and cautiously this year. Rising interest rates affect REITs because they increase borrowing costs and could result in lower distribution per unit (DPU) yields and reduced asset values.

Dividend and yield stocks have remained in focus amid expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise rates slowly and cautiously this year. Rising interest rates affect REITs because they increase borrowing costs and could result in lower distribution per unit (DPU) yields and reduced asset values.

Singapore is the largest Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) hub in Asia Pacific ex-Japan, with 28 REITs, 11 Business Trusts and six Stapled Trusts listed on SGX, reflecting total market capitalisation of more than $83 billion. Over 70% of the REITs and property trusts own assets across Asia and Europe.

REITs invest in a wide range of diversified real estate assets such as office, residential, retail, hospitality, industrial properties or hi-tech parks. REITs listed on SGX that distribute at least 90% of their distributable income to the unit holders are granted tax transparency by IRAS and taxed only in the hands of unit holders.

As maintained by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), a Business Trust is a trust that runs and operates a business enterprise. Registered Business Trusts must have a trustee-manager whose role is to safeguard the interests of beneficiaries (referred to as ‘unit holders’ under the Business Trusts Act) of the trust and to manage the business of the trust (click here for more information).

Business Trusts offer investors a way to invest in cash-generating assets, including infrastructure, real estate and transportation assets. The 11 Business Trusts are made up of four Property Trusts, four Infrastructure Trusts, two Shipping Trusts and a Specialty Trust. The Property Trusts are Ascendas India Trust, Indiabulls Trust, Religare Health Trust and Croesus Retail Trust. The Infrastructure Trusts also consist of four trusts - CitySpring Infrastructure Trust, Keppel Infrastructure Trust, Hutchison Port Trusts and Asian Pay TV Trust. The Shipping Trusts comprise Rickmers Maritime and First Ship Lease Trust. The only specialty trust is Accordia Golf Trust.

The 28 REITs listed on SGX have averaged a 4.6% YTD gain, while the 11 listed Business Trusts have averaged a 5.7% YTD advance, bringing their average one-year total return to 18.4% each. The six listed Stapled Trusts have posted an average 2.1% YTD gain, taking their average one-year total return to 10.5%.

SGX Stock Recommendations

MARKET UPDATES :

• The Straits Times Index (STI) ended +18.51 points higher or +0.54% to 3450.1, taking the year-to-date per- formance to +2.52%.

• The FTSE ST Mid Cap Index gained +0.18% while the FTSE ST Small Cap Index gained +0.47%. The top active stocks were SingTel (+1.38%), DBS (-0.15%), UOB (+1.13%), Golden Agri-Res (+7.41%) and Keppel Corp (- 1.11%).

• The outperforming sectors today were represented by the FTSE ST Basic Materials Index (+2.32%). The two biggest stocks of the FTSE ST Basic Materials Index are Midas Holdings (unchanged) and Geo Energy Re- sources (-0.51%). The underperforming sector was the FTSE ST Oil & Gas Index, which declined -1.06% with Keppel Corp’s share price declining -1.11% and Sembcorp Industries’ share price declining -1.15%.

• The three most active Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) by value today were the IS MSCI India (-1.43%), SPDR Gold Shares (-1.19%), iShares USD Asia HY Bond ETF (+1.05%).

• The three most active Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) by value were CapitaMall Trust (-0.92%), Suntec REIT (unchanged), CapitaCom Trust (-1.13%).

• The most active index warrants by value today were HSI25000MBeCW150429 (+2.50%), HSI24400M- BeCW150429 (+4.72%), HSI24200MBePW150429 (-4.95%).

• The most active stock warrants by value today were UOB MB eCW150701 (+9.92%), DBS MB eCW150915 (- 1.70%), KepCorp MBeCW150901 (-7.69%).

SGX Comex Recommendations

INTERNATIONAL COMMODITY NEWS :
Gold futures retreated on Friday afternoon amid a wavering dollar, as traders awaited comments from Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen later in the session. On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange,gold futures for April delivery fell 5.80% or 0.48% to $1,199 a troy ounce. The decline came one day after gold reached a  three-week high at $1,205.10, capping a rally precipitated by relatively dovish comments from Ms. Yellen on Mar. 18. Gold prices started trending downward on Mar. 6, after the release of a promising U.S. jobs report fueled speculation that the Fed could raise interest rates sooner than expected. Prices then dipped to a four-month low last week at 1,148.20 ahead of the Fed’s decision to remove its stance of remaining patient on the timing of a potential rate hike.

TRADING STRATEGY :
BUY GOLD ABOVE 1207 TARGET 1212 1218 SL 1201
SELL GOLD BELOW 1194 TARGET 1189 1183 SL 1200

SGX IForex Recommendations

TRADING TIPS :
GBP/USD hit 1.4797 during European morning trade, the pair’s lowest since March 20; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.4820, slipping 0.20%.The pound fell to one-week lows against the U.S. dollar on Friday, as demand for the greenback remained supported by the previous session’s upbeat U.S. data and as markets eyed an upcoming report on U.S. fourth quarter growth.The dollar found broad support after data on Thursday showing that the number of people filing unemployment assistance in the U.S. last week fell to a five-week low sparked optimism over the strength of the job market.

INTRADAY OUTLOOK

Support: 1.4837

Resistance: 1.4897

RECOMMENDATION:

1. Buy GBP/USD Above 1.4899-TG: 1.4919/1.4949 SL 1.4869

2. Sell GBP/USD Below 1.4835-TG: 1.4815/1.4785 SL 1.4865

INTRADAY OUTLOOK

Support: 1.0788

Resistance: 1.0848

RECOMMENDATION:

1. Buy EUR/USD Above 1.0850-TG: 1.0870/1.0900 SL 1.0820

2. Sell EUR/USD Below 1.0786 -TG:1.0766/1.0736 SL 1.0816

SGX Singapore News Update

Singapore's 20 largest active stocks average 12% total return over past year

Including both price changes and dividend distributions, Singapore’s 20 largest capitalised stocks that are actively traded have averaged a 12.0% return over the past twelve months.

This is in line with the STI performance which has generated a 9.1% price gain over the period while maintaining a 3.2% dividend yield.

Among these 20 stocks, the five strongest performers YTD were IHH Healthcare Berhad, Singapore Telecommunications, Hongkong Land Holdings, CapitaLand and Thai Beverage Public Company.

The 20 largest stocks that are actively traded on SGX have a combined market cap of S$ 469.5 billion. This means they account for 45.4% of the total market capitialisation of all stocks listed on SGX. These 20 stocks include 17 STI stocks. All the stocks listed in the table below are in the STI except for IHH Healthcare Berhad, Dairy Farm International Holdings and Great Eastern Holdings.

Including both price appreciation and dividend distributions, Singapore’s 20 largest capitalised stocks that are actively traded have averaged a 12.0% return over the past twelve months. This is in line with the STI which has generated a 9.1% price gain over the period while maintaining a 3.2% dividend yield.

Among these 20 stocks, the five strongest performers year-to-date were IHH Healthcare Berhad, Singapore Telecommunications, Hongkong Land Holdings, CapitaLand and Thai Beverage Public Company. In the year thus far, only five stocks reported negative returns, while the remaining 15 stocks reported higher total returns, bringing the average total return year-to-date to 3.6%.

Forex Market Update

The U.S. dollar booked its largest two-week decline against the euro since September 2012 on Friday, sliding on expectations that the Federal Reserve will begin raising interest rates later, and more gradually, than market participants had previously anticipated.

The euro EURUSD, +0.04%  traded at $1.0886, compared with $1.0880 late Thursday. The dollar traded at 119.19 yen, compared with ¥119.19 level seen late Thursday.

The ICE U.S. Dollar Index DXY, -0.03% which gauges the dollar’s strength against six major currencies, was down EURUSD, +0.04%  slightly at 97.39.

The pound GBPUSD, +0.22%  traded at $1.4907, compared with $1.4853 Thursday.

Gasoline Market Update

Back on Nymex Friday, April gasoline RBJ5, -4.55%  settled at $1.798 a gallon, down 8.4 cents, or 4.5%. It was about flat for the week. April heating oil HOJ5, -3.07%  fell 6 cents, or 3.4%, to $1.7275 a gallon—down about 0.4% on the week.

April natural gas NGJ15, -2.81%  fell 8.2 cents, or 3.1%, to $2.59 per million British thermal units, with the contract down 7% for the week. The April contract expired at the close of Nymex trading.

Oil Market Update

Oil futures settled lower on Friday for the first time in six sessions but still gained about 5% for the week, with strength fueled in part by an escalating conflict in Yemen.

Meanwhile, data revealed that the number of active oil and natural-gas drilling rigs fell for a 16th week in a row, and that the declines in the rig counts have slowed.

West Texas Intermediate crude for delivery in May CLK5, -5.83%  settled at $48.87 a barrel, down $2.56, or 5% on the New York Mercantile Exchange, with the front-month contract ending about 4.9% higher for the week following a 4.5% jump on Thursday.

May Brent crude on London’s ICE Futures exchange LCOK5, -5.19%  fell $2.78, or 4.7%, to $56.41 a barrel, leaving it with a weekly gain of around 2%.

Copper Market Update

Other metals weakened along with gold and silver. May copper HGK5, -1.71%  dropped 4.35 cents, or 1.6%, to $2.7675 a pound — up roughly 0.2% for the week. 

April platinum PLJ5, -1.20%  fell $10.40, or 0.9%, to $1,143.60 an ounce — 0.2% higher from the week-ago settlement. June palladium PAM5, -4.58%  gave up $32.35, or 4.2%, to $741 an ounce, losing around 4.9% for the week.

Gold Market Update

Gold futures settled with a loss on Friday, putting an end to a seven-session stretch of gains that had lifted prices to their highest level in more than three weeks.

Prices rallied particularly strongly over the past two trading sessions as declines in global equities and turmoil in Yemen helped buoy safe-haven investment demand for the metal.

Gold for April delivery GCJ5, -0.56%  shed $5, or 0.4%, to settle at $1,199.80 an ounce Friday on Comex. During their seven-session climb, gold futures tallied a total gain of 4.9%. For the week, prices gained 1.3%.

May silver SIK5, -0.99%  settled down 7.1 cents, or 0.4%, at $17.069 an ounce, leaving it with a weekly gain of 1.1%.

SGX Singapore News Update

Penny stocks accounted for most of the action in the local market today, although a couple of blue chips, too, got a fair share of attention.

Some of the most actively traded small caps included Ellipsiz, which rose 12.9% to 13.1 cents; SIIC Environment, which put on 2.5% to 16.7 cents; Mirach Energy, which ended flat at 5.9 cents; and Albedo, which surged 25% to one cent.

A total of 1.6 billion shares worth $1.12 billion changed hands, compared with 1.5 billion shares worth $1.21 billion on Thursday.

Gainers outnumbered decliners 257 to 146.

The Straits Times Index rose 0.5% to 3,450.10.

The biggest gainer among blue chips was Golden Agri-Resources, which rose 7.4% to a five-week high of 43.5 cents.

Some 112.3 million Golden Agri shares were traded, making the palm oil producer the most active stock in the market. The renewed interest came after the shares sank to a six-year low of 39.5 cents last week.

Noble Group climbed 1.6% to 94.5 cents on a volume of 36 million shares.

"The law of diminishing returns has clearly set in on Iceberg Research’s third research report against Noble Group," said DBS Vickers, noting that the stock actually gained 4.5% when the final report was released on March 23.

The little-known research outfit has accused Noble of, among other things, understating its debt and overstating the value of its associates on its balance sheet. 

SGX Singapore Closing Market Update

In the past, there had been some concern expressed by investors that the passing of Singapore's founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, might have an adverse impact on the local stock market.

They needn't have worried - Mr Lee's passing on Monday had little impact on the market, with the Straits Times Index rising 38 points or 1.1 per cent over the five days. On Friday, it rose 18.51 to 3,450.1, driven mainly by the banks and Singtel and volume was 1.6 billion units worth S$1.1 billion.

External considerations included gyrations on Wall Street because of interest rate expectations, Middle East problems including the rise of ISIS and the conflict in Yemen, and flow of money towards Europe because of the QE (quantitative easing).

Throughout the week there was more than a hint of quarter-ending window dressing which helped prop the index up, benefiting as it did the banks, Singtel and battered offshore marine sector plays like Keppel Corp.

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SGX Comex Recommendations

INTERNATIONAL COMMODITY NEWS :
Gold prices dipped in Asia on Friday as mixed data from Japan signaled continued easy monetary policies. In Japan on Friday, the country reported that February national core CPI (excluding perishables but including energy) rose 2.0%, less than the 2.1% year-on-year gain expected, a 21st year-on-year rise but the smallest gain since 1.3% in March 2014. The unemployment rate came in at 3.5% as expected, down from 3.6% in January, while the job offers to seekers index met its 1.15 expectation (115 job offers for every 100 people looking for work), up from 1.14 in January and posting the highest reading since 1.19 in March 1992. Household spending fell 2.9%, less than the 3.2% year-on-year decline seen in real terms, but still an 11th consecutive year-on-year drop.

TRADING STRATEGY :
BUY GOLD ABOVE 1207 TARGET 1212 1218 SL 1201
SELL GOLD BELOW 1198 TARGET 1193 1187 SL 1204

SGX IForex Recommendations

TRADING TIPS :

GBP/USD hit 1.4990 during European morning trade, the pair’s highest since March 18; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.4979, advancing 0.67%.The pound climbed to a one-week high against the U.S. dollar on Thursday, supported by upbeat U.K. retail sales data and as demand for the greenback remained under pressure after Wednesday’s disappointing U.S. economic reports.In a report, the U.K. Office for National Statistics said retail sales increased 0.7% last month, above forecasts for a gain of 0.4%. Retail sales in January rose by 0.1%, whose figure was revised from a previously reported decline of 0.3%.

INTRADAY OUTLOOK

Support: 1.4910

Resistance: 1.4970

RECOMMENDATION:

1. Buy GBP/USD Above 1.4972-TG: 1.4992/1.5022 SL 1.4942

2. Sell GBP/USD Below 1.4902-TG: 1.4882/1.4852 SL 1.4932

INTRADAY OUTLOOK

Support: 1.0996

Resistance: 1.1056

RECOMMENDATION:

1. Buy EUR/USD Above 1.1058-TG: 1.1078/1.1108 SL 1.1028

2. Sell EUR/USD Below 1.0994 -TG:1.0974/1.0944 SL 1.1024

SGX Stock Recommendations

MARKET UPDATES :

• The Straits Times Index (STI) ended +12.57 points higher or +0.37% to 3431.59, taking the year-to-date per- formance to +1.97%.

• The FTSE ST Mid Cap Index gained +0.27% while the FTSE ST Small Cap Index gained +0.81%. The top active stocks were DBS (+0.89%), SingTel (+0.69%), Keppel Corp (+1.23%), CapitaLand (+1.97%) and Keppel Land (- 0.44%).

• The outperforming sectors today were represented by the FTSE ST Oil & Gas Index (+1.59%). The two biggest stocks of the FTSE ST Oil & Gas Index are Keppel Corp (+1.23%) and Sembcorp Industries (+1.40%). The un- derperforming sector was the FTSE ST Consumer Services Index, which declined -0.81% with Jardine Cycle & Carriage’s share price declining -0.15% and Genting Singapore’s share price declining -1.08%.

• The three most active Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) by value today were the SPDR Gold Shares (+1.78%), STI ETF (+0.88%), LYXOR China H (-0.12%).

• The three most active Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) by value were CapitaCom Trust (+1.14%), Capita- Mall Trust (+0.46%), Ascendas REIT (+0.39%).

• The most active index warrants by value today were HSI24400MBeCW150429 (-5.22%), HSI25000M- BeCW150429 (-6.98%), HSI24800MBeCW150528 (-4.27%).

• The most active stock warrants by value today were DBS MB eCW150915 (+4.73%), UOB MB eCW150701 (+4.31%), KepCorp MBeCW150901 (+8.33%).

IForex Signal Update

Forex GBPUSD Recommendation of 27 - MARCH. - 2015

✔We Hit SECOND TARGET ✔

International Forex #GBPUSD HITS TARGET PLEASE BOOK PARTIAL PROFIT

■■ Sell GBP/USD Below 1.4902-TG: 1.4882/1.4851 SL 1.4932

S&P Market News Update

After failed attempts at a rebound, U.S. stocks ended Thursday’s choppy session lower, declining for the fourth consecutive session.

The benchmark S&P 500 turned negative for the year and recorded its longest losing streak since January.

The S&P 500 SPX, -0.24% ended 4.90 points, or 0.2% lower at 2,056.15 with eight of its 10 sectors closing in the red. Technology stocks which took a beating on Wednesday rebounded, but modest gains weren't enough to lift the markets.

Forex Market Update

The dollar lost ground against the yen Thursday, but traded higher against the euro after falling for most of the past week.

The dollar USDJPY, -0.02%  was down at ¥119.20 from ¥119.50 late Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the euro EURUSD, +0.02%  bought $1.0875, down from $1.0971 late Wednesday in New York, after gaining ground earlier Thursday against the dollar. The ICE U.S. Dollar Index DXY, -0.05% which gauges the dollar’s strength against six other currencies, was flat at 97.4040.

Gasoline Market Update

In other Nymex-traded commodities, prices for petroleum products climbed, too. April gasoline RBJ5, -1.39%  traded at $1.862 a gallon, up 2.6 cents, or 1.4%, while April heating oil added 4.1 cents, or 2.4%, to $1.769 a gallon.

April natural gas NGJ15, -0.60%  turned lower to trade at $2.666 per million British thermal units, down 5.7 cents, or 2.1%. The EIA reported Thursday an increase of 12 billion cubic feet in last week’s natural-gas supplies. Analysts polled by Platts forecast a rise of 12 to 16 billion cubic feet.

Oil Market Update

Oil futures jumped past $50 a barrel on Thursday, headed for their fifth straight daily gain as Saudi Arabian airstrikes in Yemen raised fresh concerns over potential disruptions to crude supplies.

May crude CLK5, -1.79%  climbed 98 cents, or 2%, to $50.19 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It hit an intraday high of $52.48 a barrel, according to FactSet data.

May Brent crude LCOK5, -1.54%  on London’s ICE Futures exchange rose $1.70, or 3%, to $58.18 a barrel.

Copper Market Update

Other metals traded on Comex climbed along with gold. May copper HGK5, -1.03%  rose 1.9 cents, or 0.1%, to $2.811 a pound. 

April platinum PLJ5, -0.31%  tacked on $7.50, or 0.7%, to $1,154 an ounce and June palladium PAM5, -0.74%  rose $7.95, or 1%, to $773.35 an ounce.

Gold Market Update

Gold futures rallied past $1,200 an ounce on Thursday to settle at their highest level since early March as investors backed away from riskier assets amid a selloff for global equities and increased tension in the Middle East.

Gold for April delivery GCJ5, -0.30%  climbed $7.80, or 0.7%, to settle at $1,204.80 an ounce on Comex. Prices have now climbed for seven sessions in a row, tallying a total gain of 4.9% during their streak of gains.

May silver SIK5, -0.55%  added 14 cents, or 0.8%, to end at $17.14 an ounce.

Current Market Update

Tokyo (Nikkei Average NIK, +0.35% ) up 0.4% 
Hong Kong (Hang Seng Index HSI, +0.02% ) flat 
Shanghai (Shanghai Composite Index SHCOMP, +0.30% ) up 0.3% (at break) 
Sydney (S&P/ASX 200 XJO, +0.57% ) up 0.6% 
Seoul (Kospi SEU, -0.08% ) down 0.1% 
Mumbai (Sensex 1, +0.13% ) up 0.4% 
Taipei (Taiex Y9999, -0.88% ) down 0.8%

Asian Market Update

Asian stocks outside Japan rose, paring weekly losses as US equity-index futures advanced. The yen held gains after inflation slowed more than forecast, while crude oil fell, trimming its best weekly climb since 2011.

The MSCI Asia Pacific excluding Japan Index added 0.1 per cent by 9.28 am in Tokyo, reducing its retreat in the week to 0.2 per cent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 Index rebounded from its worst day this year, while Japan's Topix index headed for its first weekly decline since mid-January with the yen near a five- week high. Standard & Poor's 500 Index futures climbed 0.2 per cent following the gauge's longest slump since January. US oil slipped 1 per cent, paring its 11 per cent jump in the week.

Core inflation in Japan slowed to 2 per cent in February, trailing the 2.1 per cent projected by economists. Retail trade data is also due Friday, while China reports on industrial company profits before an update on fourth-quarter US growth. Mixed data in the past week has fueled concern over the American economy as analysts predict the forthcoming earnings season will see the first contraction in profits since 2009. Yemen has emerged as the latest ground for a proxy fight between Iran and Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter.

SGX Singapore Opening Market Update

SINGAPORE share prices opened higher on Friday, with the Straits Times Index up 8.59 points or 0.25 per cent to 3,440.18 as at 9.05 am.

This is despite tepid losses in the US markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 40.31 points (0.23 per cent) to 17,678.23 after falling below 17,600 earlier in the session. The broad-based S&P 500 dropped 4.90 points (0.24 per cent) to 2,056.15, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index shed 13.16 points (0.27 per cent) at 4,863.36.

Top gainers in early morning trade include UOB, DBS and City Developments Limited.

Some 122.9 million shares worth S$93.6 million changed hands, with gainers outnumbering losers 90 to 54.

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To register, enter your correct details with a valid email id in the form by visiting below link :http://www.epiclearning.in/singapore-webinar

SGX Singapore Closing Market Update

The Straits Times Index on Thursday rose 12.57 points to 3,431.59, possibly thanks to early quarter-ending window dressing as well as expectations of a Wall Street rebound on Thursday after a steep Wednesday plunge. The fall came despite weakness throughout the region and a soft opening for Europe.

Not unexpectedly, the three banks were among the index's top gainers, though there were also notable contributions from Keppel Corp, CapitaLand and Singtel. Turnover at 1.5 billion units worth S$1.2 billion compared well with Wednesday's feeble S$950.6 million. The broad market excluding warrants managed 249 rises versus 160 falls.

SGX Comex Recommendations

INTERNATIONAL COMMODITY NEWS :
Gold prices tread water in early Asia on Thursday with support coming from expectations the Federal Reserve will act later rather than sooner on a widely expected hike in rates this year. On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold futures for April delivery held nearly flat at $1,197.10 a troy ounce. Overnight, gold future prices spiked on Wednesday reaching a three-week high,as weak data on U.S. durable goods strengthened the case for delaying a potential interest rate hike. Gold had been in free fall until March 17, as speculation mounted that the Federal Reserve could raise interest rates as early as June. Last week, gold futures plunged to a four-month low of $1,148.20 ahead of the Fed’s decision to remove its stance of remaining patient on the timing of a potential rate hike.Still, relatively dovish comments from Fed chair Janet Yellen on slower long-term increases for inflation, interest rates and GDP growth have fueled speculation that the Fed could raise its benchmark Federal Funds Rate later than previously had been expected.

TRADING STRATEGY :
BUY GOLD ABOVE 1201 TARGET 1206 1212 SL 1195
SELL GOLD BELOW 1194 TARGET 1189 1183 SL 1200

SGX Stock Recommendations

MARKET UPDATES :

• The Straits Times Index (STI) ended +5.76 points higher or +0.17% to 3419.02, taking the year-to-date per- formance to +1.60%.

• The FTSE ST Mid Cap Index gained +0.38% while the FTSE ST Small Cap Index gained +0.48%. The top active stocks were SingTel (+0.70%), UOB (+0.61%), DBS (-0.05%), Keppel Corp (+1.13%) and OCBC Bank (+0.29%).

• The outperforming sectors today were represented by the FTSE ST Utilities Index (+3.48%). The two biggest stocks of the FTSE ST Utilities Index are United Envirotech (+0.31%) and Hyflux (+1.14%). The underperform- ing sector was the FTSE ST Real Estate Holding and Development Index, which declined -0.33% with Hongkong Land Holdings’ share price declining -0.94% and Global Logistic Properties’ share price gain- ing +0.78%.

• The three most active Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) by value today were the SPDR Gold Shares (+0.05%), iShares S&P500 Ivv (-0.90%), IS MSCI India (-1.14%).

• The three most active Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) by value were CapitaMall Trust (-0.46%), Ascen-das REIT (-0.78%), Keppel REIT (-0.42%).

• The most active index warrants by value today were HSI24400MBeCW150429 (+8.94%), HSI25000M- BeCW150429 (+8.86%), HSI24800MBeCW150528 (+8.33%).

• The most active stock warrants by value today were DBS MB eCW150915 (+1.20%), UOB MB eCW150701 (+4.51%), KepCorp MBeCW150901 (+6.67%).

Forex Market Update

The dollar traded lower against its rivals Wednesday, continuing a bearish pattern that has persisted since Federal Reserve policy makers signaled one week ago that they would begin raising interest rates later than the market had expected.

The euro EURUSD, +0.17%  was at $1.0974, compared with $1.0924 late Tuesday in New York. 

The dollar has weakened against the euro during three of the past five sessions.

The dollar USDJPY, -0.41%  was at ¥119.41, compared with ¥119.74. The pound GBPUSD, +0.07%  rebounded against the buck, trading at $1.4916, compared with $1.4847.

S&P Market News Update

U.S. stocks were bludgeoned in Wednesday trading with the Dow threatening a 300-point drop as the Nasdaq Composite suffered its steepest decline since April 2014 as investors dumped technology and biotechs shares.

The S&P 500 SPX, -1.46%  fell 30.45 points, or 1.5% to 2,061.05, with nine of its 10 main sectors finishing sharply lower.

SGX IForex Recommendations

TRADING TIPS :

GBP/USD hit 1.4896 during European morning trade, the session high; the pair subsequently consolidated at 1.4888, gaining 0.27%.The pound rose against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday, after upbeat U.K. mortgage approvals data, although the greenback remained mildly supported by hopes for a near-term U.S. rate hike.In a report, the British Banker's Association said that the number of new mortgages approved increased to a five-month high of 37,300 last month from January’s total of 36,400. Analysts had expected the number of new mortgages approved to rise to 36,900 in February.The uptick in underlying inflation indicated that the Federal Reserve would still have leeway to tighten monetary policy even with inflation running below target.

INTRADAY OUTLOOK

Support: 1.4839

Resistance: 1.4899

RECOMMENDATION:

1. Buy GBP/USD Above 1.4901-TG: 1.4921/1.4951 SL 1.4871

2. Sell GBP/USD Below 1.4837-TG: 1.4917/1.4887 SL 1.4867

INTRADAY OUTLOOK

Support: 1.0931

Resistance: 1.0991

RECOMMENDATION:

1. Buy EUR/USD Above 1.0993-TG: 1.1013/1.1043 SL 1.0963

2. Sell EUR/USD Below 1.0929 -TG:1.0909/1.0879 SL 1.0959

Gasoline Market Update

On Nymex, April gasoline RBJ5, +1.24% fell less than half a cent to $1.7997 a gallon, while April heating oil HOJ5, +1.85%  lost 2.4 cents, or 1.4%, to $1.7065 a gallon.

April natural gas NGJ15, +0.66%  settled at $2.786 per million British thermal units, up 5.3 cents, or 1.9%.

Oil Market Update

Oil futures finished modestly higher Tuesday, holding near a two-week high, as upbeat manufacturing data boosted the outlook for crude demand ahead of weekly reports on U.S. petroleum supplies.

On the New York Mercantile Exchange, crude for delivery in May CLK5, +3.74%  settled at $47.51 a barrel, up 6 cents, or 0.1% — the contract’s third-straight session gain. That was the highest settlement for a front-month contract since March 11.

May Brent crude LCOK5, +2.90%  on London’s ICE Futures exchange fell 81 cents, or 1.5%, to $55.11 a barrel.

Platinum Market Update

In other metals trading, April platinum PLJ5, +0.28%  gained $5 to end at $1,146.50 an ounce, while June palladium PAM5, +0.31%  rose $1.70 to $765.40 an ounce.

May copper HGK5, +0.48%  fell 1 cent to $2.79 a pound.

Gold Market Update

Gold futures rebounded from early weakness and posted a sixth straight winning session on Wednesday after an unexpected drop in February durable-goods orders.

Gold for April delivery GCJ5, +0.18%  rose $5.60, or 0.5%, to close at $1,197 an ounce on Comex after tapping an intraday high of $1,199.30. The close was the highest since March 4.

May silver SIK5, +0.21%  rose 2 cents, or 0.1%, to settle at $17 an ounce.

Current Market Update

Tokyo (Nikkei Average NIK, -1.42% ) down 1.3%
Hong Kong (Hang Seng Index HSI, +0.14% ) up 0.1% 
Shanghai (Shanghai Composite Index SHCOMP, +0.33% ) up 0.3% (at break)
Sydney (S&P/ASX 200 XJO, -1.34% ) down 1.1% 
Seoul (Kospi SEU, -0.70% ) down 0.5% 
Mumbai (Sensex 1, -0.78% ) down 0.6% 
Taipei (Taiex Y9999, -0.74% ) down 0.7%

Asian Market Update

Asian markets wound back on Thursday, in line with a hefty sell-off on Wall Street, after surprisingly weak US data hinted at ongoing weakness in the world's number one economy.

The euro maintained its recent strength against the dollar and yen, boosted by receding expectations of an early US rate hike and upbeat indicators out of the eurozone.

Oil prices also enjoyed support from concerns about unrest in the crude-rich Middle East following news that Saudi Arabian jets had struck rebel positions in neighbouring Yemen.

In early trade Tokyo sank 1.56 per cent from a 15-year high, while Sydney lost 1.30 per cent, Seoul shed 0.74 per cent, Hong Kong shed 0.30 per cent and Shanghai slipped 0.55 per cent.

SGX Singapore Opening Market Update

SINGAPORE shares retreated in early Thursday trade on the back of losses on Wall Street and soft US economic data. The Straits Times Index dipped 0.31 per cent, or 10.64 points, to 3,408.38 as at 9.02am, wiping out Wednesday's feeble gain.

Among the most active counters were Ascendas Reit, which slid three Singapore cents to S$2.51 as at 9.03am, while Yuuzoo opened one cent higher at S$0.30. A total of 61.6 million shares worth S$109.5 million had changed hands as at 9.02am. Losers outnumbered gainers 83 to 44.

SGX Singapore News Update

The Straits Times Index (STI) ended +5.76 points higher or +0.17% to 3419.02, taking the year-to-date performance to +1.60%.

The FTSE ST Mid Cap Index gained +0.38% while the FTSE ST Small Cap Index gained +0.48%. The top active stocks were SingTel (+0.70%), UOB (+0.61%), DBS (-0.05%), Keppel Corp (+1.13%) and OCBC Bank (+0.29%).

The outperforming sectors today were represented by the FTSE ST Utilities Index (+3.48%). The two biggest stocks of the FTSE ST Utilities Index are United Envirotech (+0.31%) and Hyflux  (+1.14%). The underperforming sector was the FTSE ST Real Estate Holding and Development Index, which declined -0.33% with Hongkong Land Holdings’ share price declining -0.94% and Global Logistic Properties’ share price gaining +0.78%.

The three most active Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) by value today were the SPDR Gold Shares (+0.05%), iShares S&P500 Ivv (-0.90%), IS MSCI India  (-1.14%).

The three most active Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) by value were CapitaMall Trust (-0.46%), Ascendas REIT (-0.78%), Keppel REIT (-0.42%).

The most active index warrants by value today were HSI24400MBeCW150429 (+8.94%), HSI25000MBeCW150429 (+8.86%), HSI24800MBeCW150528 (+8.33%).

The most active stock warrants by value today were DBS MB eCW150915 (+1.20%), UOB MB eCW150701 (+4.51%), KepCorp MBeCW150901 (+6.67%).