SGX to introduce circuit breakers in Feb

[SINGAPORE] Market watchers who have been lobbying for circuit breakers to be introduced in the local stock market will soon have their way. The Singapore Exchange (SGX) said yesterday that circuit breakers will make their appearance here from Feb 24.

Circuit breakers will apply to all Straits Times Index (STI) components, MSCI Singapore Index components and securities priced 50 cents and above. Since stapled securities, funds, exchange-traded funds, exchange-traded notes and extended settlement contracts are also included, this means that circuit breakers will apply to 80 per cent of the market.

The move was widely anticipated following SGX's release of a public consultation paper last June. Among the details included then and confirmed yesterday was that the circuit breakers will be dynamic instead of static as this satisfies international best practice and would bring SGX in line with bourses in other countries such as Australia, the US and Britain.