Market updates:
- SINGAPORE shares ended 1.34 per cent lower on Monday with the Straits Times Index slipping 44.86 points to 3,305.64. Some 1.72 billion shares, valued at S$1.27 billion were traded. Gainers numbered 84 while losers numbered 400.
- THE performance of real estate investment trusts (Reits) in Singapore has recovered this year, reflecting what analysts say is market confidence that rate hikes will probably happen much later than previously thought. When the US Federal Reserve first hinted that it may curtail its bond -buying stimulus programme in May 2013, the 10- year Singapore government bond benchmark surged from 1.4 per cent to 2.8 per cent over the subsequent six weeks, while the FTSE ST Reit Index slumped 19 per cent.
- SINGAPORE and the US are exploring the development of a trusted traveller programme to speed up immigration clearance for citizens of both countries, the Singapore Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a statement.
- SINGAPORE will a dopt the Euro VI emission standards from Sept 1, 2017, for petrol vehicles to further improve the country's air quality, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said on Monday. OIL and gas stocks, led by Ezion Holdings, continued to tumble on Monday amid ongoing weakness in crude prices. Ezion, which charters offshore vessels, was he most active counter at mid-day with 46.3 million shares changing hands. The stock was down 11.7 per cent, or 15.5 Singapore cents, at S$1.17 as at 2.04pm
