Singapore shares finish lower in thin trading

AN easy calm settled on the Singapore stock market on Tuesday, with heightened caution the name of the game following news that oil and gas firm Ezra Holdings has filed for US Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection over the weekend.

After Monday's weakness, Tuesday's session was marked by low volume, with prices drifting within narrow bands and few features of interest.

As a result, the Straits Times Index rarely threatened a breakout either way, eventually finishing 7.13 points lower at 3,158.57. Turnover, which last Friday amounted to S$1.9 billion, dwindled to 1.5 billion units worth S$909.3 million. Excluding warrants, there were 239 rises versus 225 falls.