Singapore stocks: STI resumes Friday afternoon at 3,159.23, up 0.41% on day

SINGAPORE stocks opened higher as trading resumed on Friday afternoon, with the Straits Times Index increasing 0.41 per cent or 13.05 points to 3,159.23 as at 1.03pm after a stronger opening in other Asia markets.

Gainers outnumbered losers 160 to 109, or about three securities up for every two down, after 247.8 million securities worth S$379.9 million changed hands.

Among the most heavily traded by volume, Blumont Group held firm to S$0.002 with 16.9 million shares traded. Genting Singapore rose 1.2 per cent or S$0.01 to S$0.875 with 13.2 million shares traded. Chasen Holdings moved up 3.9 per cent or S$0.003 to S$0.08 with 9.9 million shares traded.

Active index stocks included Singtel, up 0.6 per cent or S$0.02 to S$3.27; and ST Engineering, up 1.2 per cent or S$0.05 to S$4.07.

Banking stocks were also trading higher, with DBS Group Holdings up 0.3 per cent or S$0.08 to S$24.33; United Overseas Bank, up 1.0 per cent or S$0.24 to S$24.20; and OCBC Bank, up 0.5 per cent or S$0.05 to S$10.62.

In Asia, Tokyo, Sydney and Seoul climbed 0.5 per cent on Friday, on the heels of gains on Wall Street after a report that the United States could delay its plan to hit Mexico with tariffs emerged. Meanwhile, markets in Hong Kong and mainland China were closed for a public holiday.