STI closes 2.64% lower at 2,613.88 on Monday

THE Straits Times Index (STI) fell 70.75 points or 2.64 per cent to 2,613.88 on Monday in a third straight day of losses after a rise in new coronavirus infections globally stoked fears that lockdowns might be re-imposed.

About 1.71 billion securities worth S$1.82 billion changed hands on the Singapore Exchange on Monday. Losers outnumbered gainers 349 to 148.

Synagie was the top traded stock, surging 3.5 Singapore cents or 26.92 per cent to S$0.165 on volume of 119 million after it said it would provide end-to-end e-commerce platform store management and fulfilment services to clients of advertising giant WPP's GroupM in South-east Asia.

The top gainer was Perennial Real Estate Holdings, which rose 25 Singapore cents or 36.23 per cent to S$0.94 after a trading halt was lifted. Perennial is the subject of a privatisation offer at S$0.95 per share.

The top loser was United Overseas Bank, which fell S$1.46 or 6.55 per cent to close at its intraday low of S$20.82 upon trading ex-dividend. A dividend of S$0.20 per share will be paid on June 29.

Regional markets were a sea of red. The Hang Seng fell 2.16 per cent, the KLSE fell 3.05 per cent, the Shanghai Composite fell 1.02 per cent while the Nikkei fell 3.47 per cent.