Singapore equities ended a volatile week slightly lower as investors navigated shifting sentiment driven by developments in the Middle East, oil price movements and evolving expectations for global interest rates.
The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) closed at 5,049.96 on Friday, down 17.57 points or 0.35% for the session. Despite the decline, the index remained above the key 5,000-point level throughout the week, underscoring the resilience of Singapore’s blue-chip market.
Trading activity on Friday saw 1.55 billion shares worth S$1.92 billion change hands, with decliners outnumbering gainers 359 to 205.
The week began cautiously after the long weekend, with investors assessing record highs on Wall Street driven by artificial intelligence-related optimism. Sentiment improved on Tuesday as the STI climbed more than 27 points in early trade, supported by gains in banking stocks including DBS, OCBC and UOB.
However, risk appetite weakened on Wednesday after a sell-off on Wall Street and renewed concerns over geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The STI fell more than 1% in early trading as investors weighed the impact of elevated oil prices on inflation and interest rate expectations.
Market sentiment improved again towards the end of the week following signs of easing tensions in the region and a record close on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The STI opened higher on Friday, although gains faded by the closing bell as investors remained cautious ahead of key US economic data.
The banking sector continued to provide support for the benchmark index, while technology-related counters faced pressure amid weakness in global semiconductor stocks.
In the broader market, the iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index closed at 1,512.56, while the iEdge S-REIT Index ended at 1,038.17.
