Singapore shares closed 0.45 percent lower on Tuesday as investors took a breather while waiting for more third quarter corporate earnings results, dealers said. The blue chip Straits Times Index snapped five straight days of rises, dropping 12.07 points to close at 2,668.40.
Volume was 1.90 billion shares worth 1.34 billion Singapore dollars (957 million US). Risers outnumbered decliners 247 to 232, with 768 issues even. "The market will not be forgiving if companies miss expectations, and just meeting expectations won't be enough. They will need to really beat them to re-rate," said a strategist with an overseas brokerage.
Singapore's economy grew 0.8 percent year-on-year in the third quarter to September, reinforcing the city-state's recovery from a severe recession. But officials and analysts said the trade-sensitive economy still faces some risks related to the strength of recovery in the United States and other developed countries that buy its exports.
Banking stocks were down, with DBS falling two cents to 12.98 dollars, United Overseas Bank declining 14 cents to 16.60 and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp shaving three cents to 7.65. Singapore Telecom was steady at 3.13, Singapore Airlines advanced 26 cents to 14.16 and publisher Singapore Press Holdings was up two cents to 3.90. Property developer CapitaLand eased six cents to 3.93 and container shipping firm Neptune Orient Lines finished four cents higher at 1.77.