Singapore stocks finish mixed; STI gains but broad market weakens

TRADERS have become accustomed to the banks driving the Straits Times Index (STI). So it probably came as a surprise that on Monday, the role of prime index mover was assumed by Genting Singapore, with its S$0.07 or 6.5 per cent jump to S$1.15 on volume of 71.7 million accounting for slightly more than half the STI's gain of 8.92 points at 3,264.21.

However, unfamiliar though the sight of Genting driving the index might be, what was familiar was that the broad market did not mirror the STI's strength: Excluding warrants, there were only 202 rises versus 271 falls. Turnover in the meantime was a decent 2.8 billion units worth S$1.4 billion.