STI weakens 0.7% over the week in cautious trading

A FALL in oil prices, an expected US interest rate hike and news that US President Donald Trump is under investigation for possible obstruction of justice were the main external events that impacted stock markets this week.

Closer to home, upbeat economic numbers and signs of a revival in the property market, possibly driven by en bloc activity, were the main features.

Perhaps not surprisingly, banks, which have been the prime movers of the Straits Times Index (STI) this year, were again the central drivers of the index every day. Meanwhile, in the second line, rotational playing was the order of the day.