Daily Markets Briefing: STI down 0.13%

The Straits Times Index (STI) ended 4.34 points or 0.13% lower to 3215.91, taking the YTD performance to +11.63%.

The top active stocks today were DBS, which gained 0.05%, Singtel, which declined 0.27%, Ascendas REIT, which gained 0.38%, OCBC Bank, which gained 0.09% and UOB, with a 0.04% fall.

The FTSE ST Mid Cap Index remains unchanged, whilst the FTSE ST Small Cap Index declined 0.08%.

According to OCBC Investment Research, US stock-market indexes ended lower on Monday on the back of a fresh flare-up in tensions between the U.S. and North Korea and a sharp decline in technology shares.

Four out of 11 S&P 500 industries finished lower, with Information Technology falling 1.42% and Health Care which went down by 0.33% leading the declines, whilst Energy which went up 1.47% and Telecommunication Services which rose 0.86% led the gains.