The Singapore stock market has finished higher in three straight sessions, gathering almost 25 points or 0.8 percent along the way. The Straits Times Index now sits just above the 3,095-point plateau and it may extend its gains on Friday.
The global forecast for the Asian markets is upbeat on easing virus concerns, rising crude oil prices and solid economic data. The European and U.S. markets were up and the Asian markets are expected to open in similar fashion.
The STI finished modestly higher on Thursday following gains from the financial shares, property stocks and plantations.
For the day, the index rose 9.30 points or 0.30 percent to finish at 3,096.81 after trading between 3,090.25 and 3,104.18. Volume was 878.5 million shares worth S$515.8 million. There were 265 gainers and 169 decliners.
Among the actives, Ascendas REIT fell 0.34 percent, while CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust and Mapletree Commercial Trust both gained 0.51 percent, City Developments jumped 0.76 percent, Comfort DelGro climbed 0.74 percent, Dairy Farm International surged 2.23 percent, DBS Group increased 0.37 percent, Genting Singapore advanced 0.66 percent, Hongkong Land rallied 1.17 percent, Keppel Corp rose 0.39 percent, Mapletree Logistics Trust added 0.54 percent, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation collected 0.44 percent, SATS accelerated 1.32 percent, SembCorp Industries shed 0.50 percent, Singapore Airlines spiked 1.45 percent, Singapore Exchange was up 0.11 percent, Singapore Press Holdings lost 0.43 percent, Thai Beverage sank 0.75 percent, Wilmar International soared 1.50 percent and Yangzijiang Shipbuilding, Singapore Technologies Engineering, United Overseas Bank and SingTel were unchanged.
The lead from Wall Street is positive as the major averages opened higher on Thursday and remained comfortably in the green throughout the session, ending near record highs.
The Dow jumped 196.67 points or 0.55 percent to finish at 35,950.56, while the NASDAQ climbed 131.48 points or 0.85 percent to close at 15,653.37 and the S&P 500 rose 29.23 points or 0.62 percent to end at 4,725.79. For the holiday-shortened week, the NASDAQ spiked 3.2 percent, the S&P improved 2.3 percent and the Dow gained 1.7 percent.
Easing concerns about the Omicron variant of the coronavirus contributed to the continued strength on Wall Street, as separate studies have indicated the new strain poses a lower risk of severe disease and hospitalization than the Delta variant.
Traders were also reacting to a slew of economic data, including a Labor Department report showing first-time claims for U.S. jobless benefits came in flat last week. Also, the Commerce Department said new orders for U.S. manufactured durable goods spiked much more than expected in November.
Meanwhile, the Commerce Department also noted a continued acceleration in the pace of core consumer price growth last month, and also that new home sales skyrocketed.
Crude oil futures extended gains to a third straight day amid hopes about outlook for energy demand as concerns about Omicron variant of the coronavirus faded. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for February ended higher by $1.03 or 1.4 percent at $73.79 a barrel.