SINGAPORE stocks started the week in the black on Monday (Apr 29), tracking a broader gain across regional markets as investors await a US Federal Reserve meeting later this week.

The US Fed is expected to keep interest rates steady at its upcoming meeting in view of sticky inflation data.

The Straits Times Index (STI) climbed 0.1 per cent or 1.95 points to close at 3,282.05. Across the broader market, advancers outnumbered decliners 362 to 242, with 2.2 billion securities worth S$1.4 billion having changed hands.

The biggest gainer on the STI was marine engineering group Seatrium : S51 0%, which gained 4.5 per cent or S$0.004 to close at S$0.093. Its counter was also the most actively traded by volume with 1.1 billion shares worth S$101 million traded.

Several real estate investment trusts also saw gains, including Frasers Logistics and Commercial Trust : BUOU 0% which gained 1 per cent or S$0.01 to close at S$1.010, as well as Mapletree Pan Asia Commercial Trust : N2IU 0% which climbed 0.8 per cent or S$0.01 to close at S$1.27.

The counter which had the biggest drop on the index was agribusiness company Wilmar International : F34 0%, which fell by 3.7 per cent or S$0.13 to close at S$3.34.

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Across the region, markets were in the black. The Kospi was up by 1.2 per cent and the ASX 200, by 0.8 per cent. Similarly, the Hang Seng Index climbed 0.5 per cent while the Shanghai Composite Index was up 0.8 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Japanese markets were closed for a holiday, even as the yen hit a 34-year low of 160.17 per US dollar on Monday.

Despite its downward slide, the Japanese government has refrained from intervening in the currency market so far.

Stephen Innes, the managing partner of SPI Asset Management, said that Japan was confronting a “multifaceted challenge” regarding its monetary policy and fiscal situation.

“A significant uptick in the yield of 10-year Japanese government bonds could potentially trigger a fiscal crisis, given the government’s heavy reliance on borrowing to service its debt,” said Innes.

He added that Japanese policymakers face “a delicate balancing act” to manage the yen’s exchange rate while maintaining stability in bond yields.