Singapore shares opened slightly weaker as investors tracked cautious sentiment across regional markets. At 9.25 am, the Straits Times Index (STI) slipped 10.99 points or 0.25% to 4,445.31, with 139 gainers against 112 decliners. Turnover stood at 239.43 million securities worth S$204.64 million.
Losses in major banks weighed on the benchmark, with DBS down 0.55% at S$53.97, while OCBC and UOB traded at S$16.84 and S$35.36, respectively. Among other active counters, Sembcorp Industries rose to S$6.46, while Singtel was steady at S$4.22.
The weak open followed a mixed performance across Asia, as investors assessed signals from global markets. Japan’s Nikkei 225 futures eased to 48,425, while China’s FTSE China A50 Index futures hovered at 15,127. The cautious tone came as Wall Street closed lower overnight amid renewed uncertainty over US rate policy and a retreat in oil prices following progress in Gaza peace efforts.
Meanwhile, the iEdge S-REIT Leaders Index stood at 1,139.35, reflecting steady sentiment in the property trust segment. In the derivatives space, equity index futures on the SGX recorded 81,940 contracts traded.
Market participants are expected to remain on guard ahead of US inflation data later this week, which could influence near-term direction for Asian equities.
