Singapore shares finish higher; STI gains 12 points in quiet trading

THE Straits Times Index on Monday kicked off the week with a 12.4-point rise to 3,187.51 thanks mainly to gains in Jardine stocks. Overall trading however, was quiet with turnover amounting to 2.3 billion units worth S$1.1 billion compared to Friday's S$1.6 billion. Excluding warrants there were 273 rises versus 189 falls throughout.

Brokers described the session as cautious and with Wall Street very much in mind. The Dow futures at 5pm stood 19 points higher, suggesting a slightly firm opening for the US market. European markets however, opened mostly in the red.