Singapore stocks: STI resumes Tuesday afternoon down 0.68% on day

SINGAPORE stocks added onto their morning losses as trading resumed on Tuesday afternoon, with the Straits Times Index declining 0.68 per cent or 22.05 points on the day to 3,236.61 as at 1.05pm.

Losers outnumbered gainers 175 to 150, after 827.5 million securities worth S$541 million changed hands.

Active securities included Golden Agri-Resources, which was down S$0.005 or 2 per cent to S$0.25 after 23.6 million shares were traded. Cromwell Reit was flat at 0.51 euro after 23.4 million shares changed hands.

Among index securities, Singtel traded up S$0.01 or 0.3 per cent to S$3.23, while Ascendas Reit was up S$0.04 or 1.4 per cent to S$2.93.

The three local banks were all in the red, with DBS down S$0.19 or 0.7 per cent to S$26.41, UOB declining S$0.36 or 1.3 per cent to S$26.57, and OCBC losing S$0.10 or 0.9 per cent to S$11.09.

Asian markets fluctuated on Tuesday as investors keep tabs on the developments in China-US trade talks after a report said Beijing was concerned about the outlook.

Hong Kong extended Monday's rally, but continuing protests in parts of the city - particularly a violent standoff at a university - remained a source of worry.

In early trade, regional markets swung in and out of positive territory.

Shanghai added 0.5 per cent, Sydney, Wellington and Manila each rose 0.3 per cent, while Taipei and Jakarta both added 0.2 per cent.

But Tokyo ended the morning 0.1 per cent lower, while Seoul shed 0.6 per cent.