STI up by a hair's breadth on general goodwill

SINGAPORE traders perked up on Friday amid good news on both the domestic and international fronts, although wariness remained.

The Straits Times Index gained a modest 7.19 points, or 0.2 per cent, to 3,577.21, moving it up for the week by 0.11 per cent. Gainers beat losers 243 to 191 on the overall bourse, or five up for every four down.

Some cheer may have come from first-quarter property market data, which showed fast-rising private home prices, a sustained growth in office rents and a possible turnaround in the struggling retail segment.