Singapore shares rise at Friday's open; STI up 0.42% to 3,204.22

SINGAPORE stocks opened stronger on Friday, with the Straits Times Index rising 0.42 per cent or 13.49 points to 3,204.22 as at 9.09am after positive starts in Australia and Japan.

Gainers outnumbered losers 88 to 49, or about nine securities up for every five down, after 71.5 million securities worth S$102.4 million changed hands.

Among the most heavily traded by volume, RHT Health Trust plunged 96.3 per cent or S$0.727 to S$0.028 with 17.7 million shares traded as the counter went ex on a special distribution of 75.2 Singapore cents per unit. Capitaland Commercial Trust moved up 1.6 per cent or S$0.03 to S$1.88 with 3.0 million shares traded.

Active index stocks included DBS Group Holdings, up 0.1 per cent or S$0.03 to S$24.23; and Singapore Exchange, up 0.8 per cent or S$0.06 to S$7.56.