STI up 0.6%, building on optimism of Q3 results season

THE benchmark Straits Times Index on Tuesday climbed 0.6 per cent or 15.23 points to close at 2,567.65, extending Monday's gains.

This comes ahead of the third quarter results season, which DBS Group Research analysts Yeo Kee Yan and Janice Chua said in a report on Oct 13 that "the worst of the earnings cuts has passed".

Ascendas Reit (A-Reit) emerged as best performer among the STI constituents for the day, rising 3.44 per cent or S$0.11 to close at S$3.31.

The Reit's manager announced on Monday that its business updates for the third quarter ended Sept 30 will be released on Oct 26, after trading hours.

DBS Group Research analysts Derek Tan and Dale Lai said last month that A-Reit has "multiple structural tailwinds in place", which they believe "will drive earnings and capital values higher in the longer term".

Mapletree's trio were also among the top performers for the day; Mapletree Logistics Trust gained 2.91 per cent, while Mapletree Industrial Trust and Mapletree Commercial Trust chalked up a 2.14 per cent and 2.07 per cent gain respectively.

Jardine Strategic Holdings came in last on the STI performance table, sliding 2.41 per cent or US$0.51 to close at US$20.62.

Advancers outnumbered decliners 223 to 134 on Tuesday, with 1.43 billion securities worth S$1.04 billion changing hands.

Across the region, certain Asian markets similarly made gains on Tuesday. The Nikkei 225 Index rebounded from Monday's fall to close up 0.18 per cent or 43.09 points at 23,601.78; the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index inched up 0.04 per cent or 1.29 points to close at 3,359.75.

China reported strong trade data in September, with exports rising 9.9 per cent year on year, and imports surging 13.2 per cent y o y - returning the country to growth from a slump of 2.1 per cent in August, based on official customs data on Tuesday.

UOB economist Ho Woei Chen said in a research note on Oct 13 that the US-China tensions, upcoming US Presidential elections and the Covid-19 pandemic could "still pose some uncertainty for investors", but the "continued opening up of the (Chinese) economy to foreign investments should bode well as global demand improves".

The benchmark Kospi ended its eight-day rally to close down 0.02 per cent or 0.58 points at 2,403.15, after South Korea reported 102 new coronavirus cases as of Monday midnight. This marks the first triple-digit increase in six days, said the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.