STI closes 0.8% higher at 2,443.13, ahead of US elections and Ant's mega listing

WITH investors holding their breath ahead of the US presidential election and the mega listing of Ant Financial Group in Hong Kong and Shanghai later this week, Singapore stocks turned in a rather mixed performance on Monday.

Sentiment across the market seemed cautious, with advancers lagging gainers 192 to 236. Yet, the benchmark Straits Times Index climbed 19.29 points or 0.8 per cent to end the day at 2,443.13.

The biggest gainer among components of the index was Wilmar International. The agri-business giant ended the day 5.2 per cent higher at S$4.25, after reporting solid Q3 earnings and announcing a special dividend on Friday.

At the other end of the spectrum, Singapore's two leading property development groups were the worst performers within the index. CapitaLand fell 2.3 per cent to end the day at S$2.51.

City Developments, which has been steadily sinking since the resignation of Kwek Leng Peck from its board, fell a further 2.2 per cent on Monday to close at S$6.20.

Among other stocks that were actively traded, Sembcorp Marine fell 5.8 per cent to end the day at S$0.113. The beleaguered offshore and marine group said in a filing today that it will release its "business update" for Q3 2020 on Nov 11 before trading hours.

Elsewhere, Nanofilm Technologies ended its second day of trading 3.4 per cent higher at S$3.01. The stock is now 16.2 per cent above its IPO price of S$2.59.

Meanwhile, key market indices around the region were firmer on Monday, despite the the S&P500's decline at the end of last week.

Japan's Nikkei 225 index climbed 1.39 per cent on Monday. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index and Korea's KOSPI were coincidentally both up 1.46 per cent.

Among our neighbours, the Jakarta Composite Index was down 0.26 per cent, while Thailand's SET was up 0.52 percent. Malaysia's KLCI slipped just 0.03 per cent on Monday.