STI in the black after week of wild fluctuations

A LARGE, short-covering bounce on Wed-nesday that was triggered by China reporting better-than-expected exports for March was followed by a surprise announcement by the Monetary Authority of Singapore which essentially made for a weaker Singapore dollar - these were the highlights of the week in which the Straits Times Index finally moved into the black for the year.

Over the five days, the index gained 115 points or 4.1 per cent to 2,923.94, including a 10.01-point rise on Friday w…