Singapore shares open down on Friday

SINGAPORE stocks opened lower on Friday, with the Straits Times Index retreating 4.25 points or 0.1 per cent to 3,222.89 as at 9.02am.

This came despite US stocks closing modestly higher overnight, as the S&P 500 eked out a record on gains, while investors continued to hope US President Donald Trump's administration will be able to make progress on tax reform.

On the Singapore bourse, about 104.6 million shares worth S$173.8 million in total changed hands. Gainers outnumbered losers 84 to 50.

The most actively traded counter was ASTI, which rose S$0.001 to S$0.091 with 12.9 million shares changing hands. Other actives included China Med International and YZJ Shipbuilding Singapore.

Elsewhere, Japan's Topix slid 0.3 per cent as at 9.22am in Tokyo. South Korea's Kospi index climbed 0.5 per cent and Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose as well, Bloomberg reported.