THE Jardine group took over from banks as the main supporter of the Straits Times Index (STI) on Monday when gains in Jardine Matheson and Jardine Strategic almost single-handedly pushed the STI 6.45 points higher to 3,344.49.

The rise was in tandem with a 0.45 per cent gain in the Hang Seng Index and a firm opening for Europe, suggesting that Wall Street would open the week by rebounding from its Friday plunge.

Despite the STI's positive showing, the broad market did not follow suit, recording 159 rises against 245 falls, excluding warrants. Turnover, which last Tuesday hit a 2015 high of S$1.24 billion, amounted to 1.1 billion units worth S$906.1 million.