Singapore shares ended higher for the fourth straight session on Thursday, led by blue chips such as contract electronics manufacturer Venture Corp and selective small-cap stocks.
The market largely ignored data showing that private residential property prices in Singapore hit a fresh five-year low in the March quarter. Dealers said the figures did not come as a surprise.
The Straits Times index recovered from a weak start to end up 0.63 percent, or 11.78 points, at 1,870.70. The index rose 5.3 percent in the first quarter after surging 32 percent last year.
"The market is warming up and expecting earnings expectations to flow through. Volumes have been picking up," said Najeeb Jarhom, director at Fraser-AMMB Research.
"We have cleared the 1,850 resistance...we should see a more interesting market this month compared to March."
Venture rose 2.59 percent to S$19.80 and Singapore Press Holdings gained 0.53 percent to S$19.00 ahead of its quarterly results next Tuesday.
United Overseas Bank (UOB) finished up 1.49 percent at S$13.60. Sources told Reuters on Thursday that UOB was in pole position to buy Dutch lender ABN Amro's controlling stake in Thailand's Bank of Asia.
Container shipping firm Neptune Orient Lines continued to see interest on optimism over strong freight rates.
Shares in the world's sixth-largest container shipping group rose 1.83 percent to S$2.23 on brisk trade of 25.5 million shares.
Gainers overwhelmed losers 278 to 74 in the broader market as turnover rose to about 745 million from Wednesday's 507 million.
Waste water treatment firm Bio-Treat was the second-most active share in the market, climbing 6.32 percent to 92.5 Singapore cents on turnover of some 44 million shares.
China Flexible Packaging gained 3.85 percent to 81 cents after the producer and seller of flexible plastic packaging material said first-quarter net profit rose to 40.1 million yuan ($4.8 million) in the three months to January from 27.4 million yuan the same period a year earlier.
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