Daily Markets Briefing: STI down 0.16%

Investors are urged to be careful for today.

The Straits Times Index (STI) ended 5.33 points or 0.16% lower to 3230.36, taking the year-to-date performance to +12.14%.

The top active stocks today were CapitaLand, which declined 0.80%, Venture, which gained 9.84%, Singtel, which gained 0.27%, OCBC Bank, which closed unchanged and YZJ Shipbldg SGD, with a 2.80% advance.

The FTSE ST Mid Cap Index gained 0.72%, while the FTSE ST Small Cap Index rose 0.12%.

Meanwhile, all three major stock indexes eked out gains to close at a record for the second session in a row Wednesday, but trading was subdued as investors searched for catalysts that could breathe new life into the rally.

OCBC Investment Research said five out of eleven S&P 500 industries finished higher, led by Energy (1.24%) and Telecommunication Services (0.75%) while Utilities (-0.53%) and Real Estate (-0.41%) led the declines.

“Despite the gains on Wall Street overnight, investors could be cautious today as they await the key data on China’s economy and U.S. inflation,” OCBC said.