The Singapore stock market on Monday snapped the three-day winning streak in which it had jumped more than 100 points or 3.3 percent. The Straits Times Index now sits just above the 3,230-point plateau and the losses may accelerate on Tuesday.
The global forecast for the Asian markets mixed to lower, with oil and technology stocks likely to extend recent losses. The European markets were up and the U.S. markets were mostly lower and the Asian bourses figure to follow the latter lead.
The STI finished modestly lower on Monday following losses from the financial shares, property stocks and industrial issues.
For the day, the index lost 17.63 points or 0.54 percent to finish at 3,232.03 after trading between 3,222.00 and 3,250.82. Volume was 1.38 billion shares worth 1.21 billion Singapore dollars. There were 349 decliners and 145 gainers.
Among the actives, Ascendas REIT plunged 1.74 percent, while CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust dropped 0.46 percent, City Developments rose 0.14 percent, Comfort DelGro tumbled 1.44 percent, Dairy Farm International skidded 0.83 percent, DBS Group slid 0.30 percent, Genting Singapore surrendered 1.30 percent, Hongkong Land declined 1.17 percent, Keppel Corp fell 0.33 percent, Mapletree Logistics Trust stumbled 1.10 percent, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation was down 0.17 percent, SATS dipped 0.26 percent, Singapore Airlines lost 0.40 percent, Singapore Exchange weakened 0.73 percent, Singapore Press Holdings shed 0.43 percent, Singapore Technologies Engineering sank 0.50 percent, SingTel retreated 1.16 percent, Thai Beverage slumped 0.75 percent, United Overseas Bank eased 0.07 percent, Wilmar International tanked 1.53 percent, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding plummeted 3.55 percent and Mapletree Commercial Trust and SembCorp Industries were unchanged.
The lead from Wall Street is soft as the major averages were unable to hold early gains on Monday, slipping into negative territory as the session progressed although the Dow finished barely in the green.
The Dow rose 1.05 points or 0.00 percent to finish at 32,945.24, while the NASDAQ plummeted 262.59 points or 2.04 percent to close at 12,581.22 and the S&P 500 shed 31.20 points or 0.74 percent to end at 4,173.11.
The steep drop by the NASDAQ came amid a spike in treasury yields, with the yield on the benchmark ten-year note reaching its highest levels in well over two years. Treasury yields soared as traders looked ahead to the Federal Reserve's monetary policy announcement on Wednesday.
With the Fed widely expected to raise interest rates by 25 basis points, traders will pay close attention to the accompanying statement for clues about further rate hikes.
The central bank is likely to continue raising rates over the comings months in an effort to combat elevated inflation, although the economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict may affect the pace.
Crude oil prices fell sharply Monday amid easing worries about supply on reports the U.S. is likely to lift sanctions on Venezuelan oil. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for April ended lower by $6.32 or 5.8 percent at $103.01 a barrel.
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