Thoughts turn to window-dressing

AS March 31 draws nearer, thoughts among traders must inevitably turn to whether the Straits Times Index (STI) will enjoy a quarter-ending, window-dressing push and if so, which stocks might be employed.

These questions are understandable, given that at the end of Wednesday's session, in which the STI gained 5.76 points to end at 3,419.02, the year-to-date performance stands at just 1.6 per cent, feeble by most standards, given zero interest rates and a supposedly-recovering US economy.

Still, the rise came in tandem with firm Hong Kong and US futures markets, so traders were likely betting on Wall Street recovering from its Tuesday weakness.