STI gains 20 points in CNY eve half-day trading

IT WAS a no-brainer that the half-day trading activity in the local bourse on Wednesday on the eve of the Chinese New Year break to usher in the Year of the Goat would be baa-land (bland).

The upside was that the benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) managed to climb 19.75 points or 0.6 per cent to 3,435.66.

The gains were spurred by a positive close on Wall Street overnight and reduced pessimism over the Greek debt saga following news reports that Greece may seek an extension of the bailout agreement that expires on Feb 28.