Singapore's Straits Times Index returned to black on Friday and remained bullish throughout the session before closing over 1% higher, following overnight gains on Wall Street.
During the day, the benchmark index ranged between 3,153.98 and 3,191.16, ending 1.17% or 36.71 points higher at 3,179.77.
In company news, DBS Group (SGX:D05) said it will merge its equity capital markets, brokerage DBS Vickers and DBS Digital Exchange with its existing treasury markets business, with effect from March 1, sending the lender's shares up 1% at market close.
Shares of Willas-Array Electronics (HKG:0854, SGX:BDR) ballooned over 55% on Friday's close, after the firm received a HK$3.3 per share privatization offer from minority stockholder Texin (Hongkong) Electronics.
CapitaLand Ascendas REIT (SGX:A17U) closed 1% higher on Friday, as it posted a distribution per unit of SG$0.07441 in the second half of 2023, down 6.1% from SG$0.07925 in the year-ago period.