Singapore shares close up 1.34% on Thursday

SINGAPORE shares saw a mild recovery on Thursday, as the Straits Times Index rose 45.19 points, or 1.34 per cent, to 3,427.97.

On the bourse, gainers beat losers 254 to 167, or about three up for every two down.

Roughly 1.48 billion shares were traded, for a value of S$1.79 billion.

Keppel Corporation added S$0.11, or 1.44 per cent, to S$7.77, after it said that it had ring-fenced the fines from a corruption scandal when considering 2017's dividend payout.

Sembcorp Industries, where head honchos will take pay cuts amid "challenging times", gained S$0.08, or 2.64 per cent, to S$3.11.

Catalist-listed financial technology firm Ayondo, which started trading on Monday, sank by two and a half Singapore cents, or 10.64 per cent, to S$0.21 on a volume of 2.09 million shares.

The Singapore market is closed on Friday for the Good Friday public holiday.