Singapore shares close down by 1.1% on Thursday; STI ends at 3,231.59

SINGAPORE stocks tracked a regional decline on Thursday, with the Straits Times Index falling by 35.81 points, or 1.1 per cent, to 3,231.59.

Across the overall bourse, losers beat gainers 281 to 136, or two down for every one up. Some 1.65 billion securities worth S$1.12 billion changed hands. 

The index drop was led by local lenders, with DBS Group Holdings closing down by S$0.19, or 0.73 per cent, to S$25.76. Also, Singtel fell by S$0.01, or 0.31 per cent, to S$3.24.

Meanwhile, telco StarHub gained S$0.08, or 4.28 per cent, to S$1.95, after it announced that it would save as much as S$210 million in a restructuring exercise that involves laying off 300 full-time employees.