Singapore stocks: STI resumes Wednesday afternoon up 0.26% on day

SINGAPORE stocks held on to their gains as they resumed trading on Wednesday afternoon, with the Straits Times Index up 8.17 points or 0.26 per cent on the day to 3,189.42 as at 1.01pm.

Advancers outnumbered decliners 219 to 149, after about 876.4 million securities worth S$450.9 million changed hands.

The most heavily traded by volume was still Medtecs International, which climbed 2.7 Singapore cents or 15.7 per cent to 19.9 cents on 127.8 million shares traded as at 1.01pm.

Other healthcare-related stocks were also actively traded by the afternoon session. Healthway Medical lost 0.1 Singapore cent or 2.2 per cent to 4.5 cents after 49.8 million shares changed hands, while UG Healthcare surged by 15.5 Singapore cents or 62 per cent to 40.5 cents on 36.2 million shares traded.

Among index stocks, Genting Singapore was unchanged at S$0.875 while Singtel was also flat, at S$3.36.

CapitaLand was trading flat at S$3.70 as at 1.01pm. On Wednesday morning, in view of the coronavirus outbreak, CapitaLand announced it has closed six malls in China, while its remaining 45 malls in other Chinese cities continue to operate with shorter hours.

Likewise, Dasin Retail Trust on Tuesday night said it has shortened opening hours at its five malls in China as well as temporarily closed certain businesses in the malls. Units of Dasin Retail Trust lost 0.5 Singapore cent or 0.6 per cent to 83 cents as at 1.01pm on Wednesday.

Tourism player Straco Corp rose 0.5 Singapore cent or 0.9 per cent to 55.5 cents. Its shares had tumbled some 10.6 per cent at Tuesday's close, after the company announced it has temporarily closed three of its tourist attractions in China.

As for banking stocks, DBS increased by S$0.07 or 0.3 per cent to S$25.92, UOB edged down S$0.01 or 0.04 per cent to S$25.95, while OCBC Bank gained S$0.03 or 0.3 per cent to S$10.93.