The Singapore stock market has finished lower in consecutive trading days, sliding almost 20 points or 0.6 percent along the way. The Straits Times Index now rests just above the 3,240-point plateau and it may take further damage on Wednesday.
The global forecast for the Asian markets suggests mild consolidation thanks to ongoing trade concerns and a dip in crude oil prices. The European and U.S. markets were mostly lower and the Asian bourses figure to follow that lead.
The STI finished modestly lower on Tuesday following losses from the financial shares and property stocks.
For the day, the index dropped 12.81 points or 0.39 percent to finish at 3,242.65 after trading between 3,231.56 and 3,253.62. Volume was 2.2 billion shares worth 944 million Singapore dollars. There were 236 decliners and 149 gainers.
Among the actives, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding surged 2.44 percent, while Hutchison Port Holdings soared 2.00 percent, Comfort DelGro spiked 1.64 percent, CapitaLand Mall Trust plummeted 1.36 percent, DBS Group plunged 1.31 percent, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation tumbled 1.22 percent, CapitaLand skidded 1.19 percent, United Overseas Bank dropped 1.18 percent, Ascendas REIT retreated 1.14 percent, Thai Beverage advanced 0.75 percent, SembCorp Industries shed 0.65 percent, CapitaLand Commercial Trust lost 0.56 percent, Wilmar International added 0.31 percent and Keppel Corp, Genting Singapore, SingTel, Golden Agri-Resources and Singapore Airlines all were unchanged.
The lead form Wall Street offers little guidance as stocks fluctuated on Tuesday before ending mixed - although the Dow did reach a fresh record closing high.
The Dow added 122.73 points or 0.46 percent to 26,773.94, while the NASDAQ fell 37.76 points or 0.47 percent to 7,999.55 and the S&P 500 lost 1.16 points or 0.04 percent to 2,923.43.
Lingering uncertainty about trade also kept some traders on the sidelines despite the new trade deal between the U.S., Mexico, and Canada to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement - although tensions with China continue to escalate.
The mixed close also came after Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell acknowledged concerns about the outlook for inflation due to the low unemployment rate but said the Fed stands ready to "act with authority" if inflation expectations drift materially up or down.
Crude oil futures edged down marginally on Tuesday, one day after recording the highest settlement price in nearly four years. Crude oil futures for November delivery ended down $0.07 or 0.09 percent at $75.23 a barrel.
Closer to home, Singapore will see September results for the private sector PMI from Nikkei later today; in August, the PMI score was 51.1.
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Market Analysis
December 19, 2025 15:10 ET U.S. inflation data and interest rate decisions by major central banks were the highlights of this busy week for economics news flow. Employment data and survey results on the housing markets also gained attention in the U.S. In Europe, the European Central Bank and Bank of England announced their policy decisions and macroeconomic projections.