Stocks perk up on news of Japan stimulus

A WEEK dominated by headlines about central bank meetings and worries about who the eventual next leader of the free world will be, is bound to sap energy levels.

But a mid-week pick-up for equity markets arrived from Japan on Wednesday, on the back of news that the Japanese government is preparing a stimulus package worth more than 28 trillion yen (S$360 billion).

Singapore stocks finished the session 0.3 per cent higher, with the Straits Times Index (STI) gaining 8.05 points to 2,941.49.

That reflected the broad market. Gainers outnumbered losers 212 to 182, or about seven up for every s…