Singapore stocks rally 0.8% on Friday on trade optimism

STOCKS in Asia rallied strongly on Friday to end the week on a higher note as hopes of progress in the US-China trade talks lifted risk appetite.

Some regional bourses posted their best showing in weeks while in Singapore, gains more than made up for the week's earlier losses.

The Straits Times Index jumped 0.79 per cent or 24.49 points on Friday to end the week at 3,113.97. That put it 35.61 points or 1.16 per cent higher than last Friday's close of 3,078.36.

Gainers outnumbered losers 273 to 122, or two up for every counter down, after 1.3 billion securities…