STI up 0.88% as positive US jobs data propels some regional markets

UNITED States' strong non-farm payrolls data helped to lift a few Asian indexes, with Singapore shares benefiting from the favourable sentiments.

Singapore's blue-chip barometer, the Straits Times Index, closed 28.06 points or 0.88 per cent higher at 3,209.74 points.

Thai Beverage Public Co was up about 3.97 per cent to S$0.785 as investors toasted to the potential listing of its brewery unit on the Singapore Exchange mainboard, after the bourse granted the brewery unit conditional eligibility to list.

Sembcorp Marine, with a trading volume of almost 500 million shares, was the most actively traded counter; its price has been climbing since announcing a £600 million (S$1.11 billion) UK wind farm contract last week. It was up three Singapore cents or 16.2 per cent to S$0.215.

PropNex and APAC Realty dipped as private home prices rose for the fourth straight quarter, fuelling speculation that the government will implement cooling measures. PropNex closed down 2.5 Singapore cents at S$0.945; APAC Realty slipped one Singapore cent to S$0.475.

Propnex announced post-trading that it is acquiring Ovvy, a provider of a technology platform connecting service providers to consumers. The acquisition will enable it to render further value-added services and to reach out to customers.

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Across the broader market, a total of 2.59 billion securities worth S$1.13 billion were traded. Gainers outnumbered losers 338 to 115.

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australian markets were closed on Monday; those that traded were a mixed bag. Japan's Nikkei 225 index was up 0.79 per cent to 30,089.25 points; South Korea's Kospi Index rose 0.26 per cent to 3,120.83.

The FTSE Bursa Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Composite was marginally lower at 1,584.24 points or 0.07 per cent down; the Jakarta Composite Index fell 0.68 per cent to 5,970.29 points at the closing bell.