Singapore shares open 0.2% up on Thursday

SINGAPORE stocks opened 0.2 per cent higher on Thursday, with the Straits Times Index rising 5.92 points to 3,342.64 as at 9am. This came as US stock indices notched all-time highs overnight with the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, in a sign of confidence in the US economy.

About 49.3 million shares worth S$48.9 million changed hands, which worked out to an average unit price of S$0.99 per share.

The most actively traded counter was Noble Group, which fell S$0.26 to S$0.315 with 5.1 million shares traded. Other actives included Rowsley and Sino Cloud. Gainers outnumbered losers 63 to 47, or about four up for every three down.

Elsewhere, Japan's Topix was little changed, while stocks in Seoul, Hong Kong and Australia inched slightly higher, Bloomberg reported.