Singapore share prices closed 0.66 percent lower Thursday, with blue chips leading the fall as investors took profits, dealers said. They said investors were cautious ahead of the corporate earnings season even as early indications produced a mixed bag of results from high-profile companies. The Straits Times Index declined 13.81 points to 2,073.12, while the broader All Singapore Equities index dropped 3.43 points to 542.07.
Volume was 951 million shares worth 747 million Singapore dollars (467 million US), from 1.0 billion shares worth 841 million Singapore dollars on Wednesday.
Decliners led gainers 362 to 116, with 536 stocks unchanged.
"While several big caps have posted positive earnings, like SIA, blue chips such as DBS have lost ground. The market is capped by profit-taking and the poor results of STATS ChipPac," said a dealer at a local brokerage.
Singapore Airlines was higher, a day after reporting its third quarter to December net profit rose 26 percent. The stock closed 10 Singapore cents higher at 11.60 Singapore dollars.
Among other blue chips, Singapore Press Holdings fell two cents to 4.42, ST Engineering shed two cents to 2.39, while Singapore Telecommunications was up two cents to 2.49.
Bank stocks finished lower, with DBS down 20 cents to 15.70, United Overseas Bank down 20 cents to 13.80 and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp 10 cents lower at 13.50.
STATS ChipPAC was down three cents to 90 cents after reporting that its net loss for the year ended December had widened sharply from the previous year.
Other technology stocks ended lower, with Chartered Semiconductor down 3.5 cents to 91.5 cents, Creative Technology down 50 cents at 22.10 and Venture Corp down 20 cents at 15.60.
Conglomerate Keppel Corp closed up 10 cents at 9.35 before its 2004 earnings result were released. Keppel later said net profit in the year ended December rose 17.5 percent to 467.5 million Singapore dollars.
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