Business Times Online - Singapore Markets

Greece is the word for week ahead

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

IT WOULD be fair to say that after spending the most part of 2009-2010 learning about the ins and outs of US Federal Reserve workings and the US economy, local investors in the past seven months or so have had to turn their energies to learning about Europe and the confusing conglomerations that are the eurozone, the European Union (EU) and the euro.

Players cash out a bit as Greece stays jittery

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

SINGAPORE stocks snapped a three-day winning streak yesterday as players took some money off the table amid continuing uncertainties about the Greek bailout plan.

ST Index slips on HK reversal

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

THE momentum of the previous three days carried the Straits Times Index (STI) to an intraday high of 2,992 yesterday, but a reversal in Hong Kong pulled it down to 2,981.17 for a net loss of 1.03 points.

ST Index closes in on 3,000 level

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

THE Straits Times Index (STI) yesterday rose 24.42 points to 2,982.20, the third consecutive rise for the week and the 17th gain out of 25 sessions since the year started, aided by a 1.5 per cent rise in Hong Kong and buying in anticipation of a Wednesday rise in Western markets. Penny stocks enjoyed heavy play, led by GMG, Golden Agri, Oceanus and United Fiber.

STI still resilient despite Greek fears

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

THE Straits Times Index (STI) yesterday extended its 2012 bounce by 17.68 points to 2,957.78, but the broad market for the second day running came under pressure in the afternoon when Hong Kong reversed a morning rise to finish in the red and Europe opened softer.

Greek worries cap stock gains

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

TRADING opened with a bang yesterday in the wake of Friday's jump in Western markets but as the day wore on, pressure set in, most likely because of Greece's failure to reach an agreement on its latest bailout. This dragged the Straits Times Index (STI) down from its intraday high of 2,959 to 2,940.10, a net gain of 22.15 points.

Are liquidity and speculative fever enough?

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

IT'S not often that the market lives up to expectations, but last week was one such occasion when liquidity provided ample support for blue chips and penny stocks jumped into play - exactly as forecast in last week's column.

Penny stocks to the fore as STI treads water

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

HIGH liquidity provided ample support for the Straits Times Index (STI) this week as the index gained a net one point over the five days at 2,917.95. But the real story lay in the explosion of interest in penny stocks, most of which cost under 10 cents.

Penny stocks still being churned

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

BETTER-THAN-EXPECTED United States manufacturing data yesterday helped push the Straits Times Index (STI) up some 20 points to an intraday high of 2,925 but a soft opening for Europe brought the index down to 2,901.04 yesterday for a nett loss of 3.72 points.

Penny stock fever grips the market

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:00:00 GMT

PUNTERS continued their frantic churning of penny stocks yesterday, even as momentum in the Straits Times Index (STI) faltered in line with weakness in Hong Kong and China. Turnover excluding foreign currency issues was an eye-popping 3.7 billion units but the dollar value of $1.4 billion and the average value of 38 cents per unit suggested speculative fever was rampant and that traders were simply churning the lowest-priced issues they could find.

Penny stocks leap to the fore

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

PERHAPS not surprisingly, frenzied punting of second and third-liners was the main feature of trading yesterday as the Straits Times Index (STI), possibly benefiting from a bit of month- ending window-dressing, managed an 18.4-point rebound to 2,906.69.

Greek news triggers selling

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

THERE was possibly an element of 'buy in anticipation, sell on news' associated with yesterday's session in equity markets in this part of the world. Since prices had already risen sharply last week partly because of hopes that a solution would soon be found to Greek's debt problems, weekend news that a solution might soon be finalised could have provided the trigger for selling yesterday.

Ample liquidity should provide support - for now

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

THE headline of last week's column 'Liquidity and momentum to keep equity ball rolling' said it all as prices rose over the intervening five trading days despite the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warning that the world's financial system has entered a 'dangerous phase' and the World Bank sharply downgraded its 2012 economic outlook.

STI rises again in moderate volume

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

SENTIMENT swung between the bullish and bearish throughout the session yesterday, even as Hong Kong opened after the Lunar New Year break with a 1.6 per cent jump. Here, the Straits Times Index, after rising sharply on Wednesday when Hong Kong was closed, yesterday traded between 2,876 and 2,917 before ending at 2,894.43 for a net gain of 2.79 points.

Liquidity and momentum push up STI

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

THERE were no surprises in yesterday's trading as liquidity and momentum propelled the Straits Times Index (STI) 42.26 points or 1.5 per cent up to 2,891.64.

Liquidity and momentum to keep equity ball rolling

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

IS THE first half of 2012 likely to be when the best money for the year is to be made? Or will the market live up to the widespread expectation among experts at the start of the year of a poor first half that would hopefully be followed by a better second six months?

Contrarians outperform, thanks to Europe, Wall St

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

THANKS to encouragement from Western markets, it has been a good week for contrarians who took the plunge, provided of course they didn't stray too far from the Straits Times Index component stocks.

Western markets help bolster stocks

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

A FIRM overnight session for Wall Street and news that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is looking to increase its lending capacity by US$500 billion yesterday helped stocks in this part of the world rebound from their Wednesday losses.

STI weaker on Europe's soft opening

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

A WEAK opening for Europe in the late afternoon brought pressure to bear on local stocks yesterday, dragging the Straits Times Index off its intraday high of 2,824 down to 2,795.4 for a net loss of 20.45 points.

Export, China data lifts ST Index

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

ECONOMIC numbers released here and in China helped the Straits Times Index (STI) to a 59.36-point or 2.2 per cent rise to 2,815.85 yesterday, led largely through the buying of Jardine stocks and the banks.

STI drops as eurozone fears return

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

AFTER confounding expectations with a 5.5 per cent jump in a fortnight that included a 75-point rise last week, the Straits Times Index yesterday slid 35.05 points to 2,756.49.

Contrarians hold sway - for now

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

ON the face of it, you'd have to say the market is in the grip of contrarians. Virtually all observers believe a bankrupt Europe will soon sink into a dire recession that will spread to the rest of the world which means that logically, risk assets such as equities should be avoided - yet this isn't the case.

Banks, Jardine drive most of STI rise

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

A BOUNCE in Hong Kong and a firm opening for Europe yesterday helped the Straits Times Index (STI) to a 47.88-point gain at 2,791.34 as traders anticipated an overnight rise in Western markets.

STI weakens after early gains

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

A BOUNCE in the banking sector helped the Straits Times Index (STI) to a maximum intraday gain of 13 points at 2,759 yesterday, but late selling in Hong Kong and a mixed opening for Europe whittled this down to a net loss of 3.47 points at 2,743.66.

Market inching towards recovery?

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 20:00:00 GMT

DARE we hope that the Singapore stock market is reaching an inflexion point? Could interest in stocks - at least in a selected few - be gradually returning?