Singapore shares slip as STI sheds 0.6% on bank losses

On Wednesday, August 12, Singapore's stocks closed lower as the Straits Times Index (STI) fell by 0.6% or 33.42 points, reaching 5,720.75. UOL Group emerged as the top performer among blue-chip stocks, surging 2.4% to S$10.17. In contrast, DBS suffered the biggest loss, declining 1.5% to S$75.85. Other local banks, such as OCBC and UOB, also ended the day in the red, with declines of 0.5% each.

The iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index reported PC Partner as the leading gainer, up 6.4% to S$3.16, while Yangzijiang Maritime recorded the steepest drop, falling 8.5% to S$0.59. Across the broader market, the number of declining stocks outnumbered gainers by a margin of 281 to 276, with a total of 1.2 billion securities, valued at S$2.2 billion, changing hands.

International Cement was the most actively traded stock, with 115.1 million shares exchanged, while DBS led in terms of value, seeing 5.1 million shares worth S$390.8 million traded. Regional indices displayed mixed results, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index down 0.8%, Japan's Nikkei 225 up 0.8%, and South Korea's Kospi rising 3.7%. The FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI managed a 0.6% gain.

Stephen Innes, managing partner at SPI Asset Management, noted that markets have transitioned from focusing on bad news to becoming more responsive to relief. He also warned that the primary risk to watch is not a slowdown in growth, but rather a situation where growth remains robust enough to push long-end bond yields beyond the market's comfort level.