A file photo of the SGX Centre in Singapore. — Bloomberg
Singapore shares jumped to a 17-year high on Tuesday, powered by a rally in index heavyweight financials, as the city-state ramps up efforts to revive its stock market.
The Straits Times Index, comprising 30 biggest companies in the city-state, rose as much as 0.9% to touch a level unseen since November 2007. It has gained 16% so far this year, outperforming most of its rivals in the region.
In August, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said it had formed a review group to recommend steps to strengthen the development of the equities market in the island country, which hosts more than $4 trillion of assets under management.
"The combination of seemingly stronger political will and low market expectations drives our conviction that soon-to-be announced initiatives will likely have a meaningfully positive market impact, even if their exact details are still to be fleshed out," Morgan Stanley analysts said in a note.
DBS Group, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp and United Overseas Bank rose between 0.4% and 0.6%.
The Singapore dollar traded largely flat. Among other stock markets in Southeast Asia, Thailand and Taiwan rose 0.9% and 1.4%, respectively.
On Monday, Thailand reported better-than-expected economic growth for the July-September period, although rising government spending and slowing private consumption remain a concern.
The latest economic data is expected to maintain pressure on the central bank to lower interest rates further, helping Thai stocks rise to their highest since Nov. 8.
"Considering uncertainty surrounding the growth outlook, the still elevated real policy rate, and weak credit growth, it is too early to rule out further monetary policy easing in 2025," ANZ analysts said in a note.
Among currencies in the region, the Taiwan dollar and the Malaysian ringgit gained 0.2% and 0.3%, respectively, against an easing U.S. dollar.
The ringgit is the only Asian currency that has gained so far this year, as the Malaysian economy stays on track to meet official forecasts, reflecting a jump in investments and boost in domestic spending.
HIGHLIGHTS:
** Bank Indonesia to keep rates steady on Nov. 20 to stabilise battered rupiah
** Philippine central bank signals more rate cuts ahead
** Thai Q3 GDP growth beats forecast, but risks seen ahead - Reuters
