Singapore shares close 20.5 points lower on Friday

SINGAPORE stocks finished 0.65 per cent lower on Friday, with the Straits Times Index falling 20.54 points to 3,117.03.

The blue-chip index was weighed down after US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said fiscal stimulus effects on the US economy this year may be limited, sparking uncertainty over growth.

About 3.19 billion shares worth S$1.43 billion changed hands, which worked out to an average unit price of S$0.45 per share.

The most actively traded counter was commodity trader Noble Group, which fell S$0.045 to S$0.225 with 623.4 million shares changing hands. Other actives included Healthway Medical Corporation and DISA, formerly known as Equation Summit.

Losers outnumbered gainers 269 to 208, or about nine down for every seven up.