STI inches lower, ending 2 days of gains

SHARES on the local bourse let up their past two days of rousing gains to end Wednesday's trading on a wimpish note, although the US dollar tumbled - a good thing for Asian markets, generally - and US stocks climbed modestly overnight.

The key Straits Times Index closed lower by 2.9 points or 0.10 per cent at 2,893.65. The good news is that it managed to stay in positive territory for the year - up 0.4 per cent so far.

Major Asian benchmark indices finished lower as well with Japan's Nikkei 225, hit by a soaring yen, leading the pack with a 0.4 per cent fall.