Singapore shares close weaker; pennies still very much in play

A SLIDE in the Dow futures and 1.3 per cent loss in Hong Kong resulted in a weak session here in which bank stocks fell after news that the Monetary Authority of Singapore had taken action against UBS and DBS for anti-money laundering lapses.

A 14.11 points loss in the Straits Times Index at 2,856.13 was the result, leaving second liners and speculatives to soak up pent-up trading energies. The top volume list comprised names that have been in play for several days such as Noble Group, SunMoon Food, Ezion, Ezra and Nam Cheong, though with the index as weak as it was, gains were thin on the ground. Excluding warrants, the advance-decline score was 165-250.