Singapore shares closed slightly up on Friday but volumes were thin as caution ruled ahead of next week's US Federal Reserve Board meeting, while TeleChoice International made a lacklustre debut.
Dealers said uncertainty over the size of a widely anticipated increase in US interest rates by the Fed was keeping investors sidelined.
The spiralling violence in Iraq, where about 100 people were killed in rebel attacks on Thursday ahead of the handover of power next week, also kept the market's mood subdued.
The key Straits Times index (STI) rose 0.34 percent, or 6.06 points, to 1,805.54, its third straight day of minor gains. It was up 0.8 percent on the week.
Gainers edged out losers 133 to 127 overall as volume shrank to 405 million shares from 480 million on Thursday.
TeleChoice, the mobile telecoms equipment unit of state-owned Singapore Technologies Telemedia Pte, fell to 25.5 Singapore cents against its offer price of 29 cents. It was the most actively traded stock, with a volume of 38.9 million shares.
"The subdued trend in TeleChoice was not entirely unexpected. IPO stocks are not really in favour at the moment because liquidity is so bad," said a dealer at a European brokerage.
Beauty and lifestyle products brand development firm LifeBrandz, which listed a week ago, fell 7.3 percent to 19 Singapore cents, below its offer price of 20 cents.
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