MARKETS in Asia got the week off to a positive start as investors were more optimistic over the outcome of China-US trade talks and had growing confidence that the US Federal Reserve will remain dovish at its policy meeting this week.

In Singapore, the Straits Times Index (STI) took its cue mostly from Wall Street's positive showing on Friday, adding 12.78 points or 0.4 per cent to close at 3,212.96. 

Trading on the Singapore bourse clocked in at 814.84 million securities worth S$774.89 million. Advancers and decliners were even at 198 each.

Rex International was the bourse's most active counter with 39.3 million shares traded. Shares in the oil and gas company finished 0.2 Singapore cent or 2.4 per cent lower at 8.1 Singapore cents.

Twenty-three of the STI's 30 constituents ended the day in the black. Among them, ThaiBev was the blue-chip index's most traded. The counter ended the session one Singapore cent or 1.2 per cent up at 82.5 Singapore cents with 21.4 million shares changing hands. 

Going by value of trades done, DBS Group Holdings' counter saw S$53.38 million traded - 6.9 per cent of the bourse's value of securities traded - across 2.11 million shares. The bank's shares added S$0.10 or 0.4 per cent to close at S$25.24.

The other local banks also gained on the day. OCBC Bank closed eight Singapore cents or 0.7 per cent higher at S$11.21, while United Overseas Bank added S$0.14 or 0.6 per cent to end at S$25.38. 

With market volatility likely to persist and with Fed rate hikes - at least in the near-term - appearing likely to be on hold, S-Reits continued to garner interest from investors. The most actively traded Reit on the day was CapitaLand Commercial Trust, which closed flat at S$1.98 on profit-taking from unitholders. 

Other active Reit counters included Keppel Reit which closed S$0.01 or 0.8 per cent up at S$1.24 and Mapletree Logistics Trust which added S$0.02 or 1.4 per cent to close at S$1.42.