Singapore shares open higher on Friday; STI rises 0.8% to 3,085.93

SINGAPORE stocks opened higher on the last trading day of the week, with the Straits Times Index moving up 0.8 per cent or 25.08 points to 3,085.93 as at 9.05am on Friday.

Gainers outnumbered losers 99 to 45, as some 48.2 million shares worth S$106.8 million in total changed hands.

The most actively traded counter was Genting Singapore with 5.9 million shares changing hands, rising 1.69 per cent or 1.5 Singapore cents to 90.5 Singapore cents. Other actives included AusGroup with 2.3 million units traded, up 2.56 per cent or 0.1 Singapore cent to four Singapore cents; and Rex International with 2.12 million shares traded, slipping 1.25 per cent or 0.1 Singapore cent to 7.9 Singapore cents.

Among active index stocks, OCBC Bank continued its climb from Thursday, gaining 2.33 per cent or 26 Singapore cents to S$11.41, while CityDev rose 1.7 per cent or 14 Singapore cents to S$8.34.

Elsewhere in Asia, Tokyo stocks opened higher on Friday extending rallies in New York, as investors watched corporate earnings reports and awaited key US jobs data. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up 0.39 per cent or 83.95 points at 21,771.60 while the broader Topix index was up 0.23 per cent or 3.17 points at 1,635.76.

In US indices overnight, US stocks rose for a third straight session on Thursday as President Donald Trump said trade talks with China were "moving along nicely", reviving hopes that the two countries can resolve their trade dispute. Adding to the upbeat mood, the latest round of results from companies was mostly positive.