SINGAPORE shares fell at the opening bell on Friday (Feb 9), after global equities turned out mixed showings overnight.

The Straits Times Index (STI) fell 0.5 per cent or 14.16 points to 3,128.75 as at 9.01 am. Across the broader market, losers outnumbered gainers 64 to 41 after 56.6 million securities worth S$76.8 million changed hands.

SMI Vantage : Y45 0% was the most heavily traded counter by volume. It gained 11.1 per cent or S$0.003 to S$0.03 with 8.5 million securities transacted.

Other companies that were briskly traded included Singtel : Z74 0%, which shed 0.9 per cent or S$0.02 to S$2.32, as well as Seatrium, : S51 0% which fell 1.1 per cent or S$0.001 to S$0.089. 

Banking stocks traded mixed in early morning trade. DBS : D05 0% inched up 0.1 per cent or S$0.02 to S$32.48. OCBC : O39 0% declined 0.7 per cent or S$0.09 to S$12.89, and UOB : U11 0% slipped 0.4 per cent or S$0.11 to S$28.11.

On Wall Street, stocks almost reached a new peak on Thursday, but still closed higher after continued strong earnings. The broad-based S&P 500 ended at 4,997.91, up 0.1 per cent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also edged up 0.1 per cent to 38,726.33, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index advanced 0.2 per cent to 15,793.72.

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In Europe, shares ended slightly lower on Thursday, as losses in healthcare heavyweights offset gains from strong corporate earnings. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 0.1 per cent lower at 485.27, after rising as much as 0.3 per cent during the day.