STI inches lower; Noble sees new dawn

EMBATTLED commodities trader Noble Group got a new lease of life on Tuesday as the counter soared almost 23 per cent, though Singapore stocks broadly inched lower ahead of the Hari Raya Haji holiday.

At the closing bell, the Straits Times Index (STI) eased 4.82 points, or 0.2 per cent to 3,199.89, as decliners outnumbered advancers 193 to 182. About 1.08 billion shares worth S$927.3 million changed hands.

Riding on renewed optimism, Noble jumped 22.9 per cent, or 2.7 Singapore cents to close at 14.5 Singapore cents. Some 64 million shares exchanged hands, making it the most actively traded counter by volume on the Singapore bourse for the day.