Singapore shares closed 0.53 percent higher Tuesday with flag carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) finishing on a high ahead of the release of its September quarter earnings results, dealers said. The blue chip Straits Times Index gained 14.22 points to 2,707.60.
Volume totalled 1.42 billion shares worth 1.45 billion Singapore dollars (1.05 billion US) and there were 230 rising issues, 259 losers and 754 even. SIA, which announced after the market closed a second quarter net loss of 158.8 million dollars - down from the previous three months - finished two cents firmer at 14.26 dollars.
Singapore Telecommunica-tions was three cents firmer at 2.94 dollars but Neptune Orient Lines dropped one cent to 1.58. Among the banks, DBS Group rose 22 cents to 13.94, United Overseas Bank gained 40 cents to 18.40 and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp was seven cents higher at 7.97.