Daily Markets Briefing: STI up 0.12%

Expect some boost today.

The Straits Times Index (STI) ended 3.83 points or 0.12% lower to 3215.7 on Wednesday, taking the year-to-date performance to +11.63%.

The top active stocks yesterday were DBS, which gained 0.05%, Singtel, which gained 0.53%, Croesus RTrust, which gained 11.37%, OCBC Bank, which gained 0.19% and UOB, with a 0.04% advance.

OCBC Investment Research said a rally by financial and technology stocks helped lift U.S. equity indexes, with the S&P 500 posting its largest one-day gain in two months while Nasdaq Composite recorded its best day in eight months.

Meanwhile, nine out of eleven S&P 500 industries ended higher, led by Financials (1.58%) and Information Technology (1.32%) while Utilities (-0.95%) and Real Estate (-0.03%) bucked the trend.

"The gains on Wall Street overnight could lift local sentiment this morning," the brokerage firm noted.