Daily Markets Briefing: STI down 0.6%

Blue chips led the decline.

The Straits Times Index (STI) ended 21.94 points or 0.62% lower to 3503.25, taking the year-to-date performance to +4.10%.

The top active stocks today were SingTel, which declined 1.12%, DBS, which declined 0.80%, Keppel Corp, which closed unchanged, CapitaLand, which declined 1.09% and UOB, with a 0.29% fall.

The FTSE ST Mid Cap Index fell 0.32%, while the FTSE ST Small Cap Index fell 0.57%.

The outperforming sectors today were represented by the FTSE ST Health Care Index, which rose 1.77%. The two biggest stocks of the Index - Raffles Medical Group and Biosensors International Group – ended 1.02% higher and 5.03% higher respectively.

The underperforming sector was the FTSE ST Utilities Index, which slipped 1.65%. United Envirotech shares rose 3.15% and Hyflux declined 1.07%.