Singapore shares close higher for third straight day

WHAT a difference a year makes - in the first three trading sessions of 2016, the Straits Times Index (STI) plunged 78 points or 2.7 per cent to 2,804, sending analysts scrambling to determine where the downside support might lie.

In contrast, the first three days of 2017 has seen the STI gain 74 points or 2.6 per cent at 2,954.14 including Thursday's 32.83 point jump, prompting observers to wonder if the upside resistance of 3,000 might soon be breached.

What has changed? Liquidity has improved slightly - daily volume in the first days of 2016 hovered close to the S$1 billion mark whilst Thursday's turnover amounted to 2.1 billion units worth S$1.3 billion.