Singapore shares decline at Friday's open; STI down 0.57% to 3,416.29

SINGAPORE stocks opened weaker on Friday, with the Straits Times Index falling 0.57 per cent or 19.49 points to 3,416.29 as at 9am after the European Central Bank raised its growth forecast but held its quantitative easing policy steady.

Losers outnumbered gainers 78 to 44, or about seven stocks down for every four up, after 31.0 million shares worth S$48.0 million changed hands.

Among the most heavily traded by volume, LHN increased 7.3 per cent or S$0.015 to S$0.22 with 0.9 million shares traded.

Active index stocks included DBS Group Holdings, down 1.2 per cent or S$0.30 to S$24.68; and Singtel, down 0.3 per cent or S$0.01 to S$3.76.