Singapore Stocks Edge Down as Middle East Tensions Offset Upbeat Retail Data

-- Singapore shares incurred losses on Tuesday, mirroring regional losses as investors responded negatively to the possibility of the US and Iran returning to hostilities amid a fragile ceasefire.

The Straits Times Index (STI), a key benchmark for the Singapore Exchange, ranged between 4,891.83 and 4,920.61 throughout the day. It ended the session at 4,920.61, down 3.70 points or 0.1% compared to Monday's close.

In economic news, Singapore's total retail sales rose 4.8% year on year in March, following the 8.3% growth in the preceding month, according to data released by the Department of Statistics Singapore.

On the corporate front, shares of UltraGreen.ai (SGX:ULG) dropped over 7% at the close as its total vial shipment fell 8.7% during the first quarter of the year to 280,900 vials from 307,600 vials a year earlier.

Overseas-Chinese Banking Corp. or OCBC (SGX:O39) were hardly moved at the close, as it agreed to acquire the retail and wealth management business of HSBC's (HKG:0005) Indonesian arm.

Meanwhile, shares of United Overseas Insurance (SGX:U13) were down under 1% as its insurance revenue dropped to SG$24.9 million in the first quarter of the year from SG$27.3 million a year earlier.

Corporate Earnings, Easing Oil Prices Lift European Bourses Midday

European bourses tracked moderately higher midday Tuesday as oil prices eased and as the continental earnings season continued to pour in.Tech and energy stocks led gains on continental trading floors.UniCredit shares rose 5.6% mid-session after the company reported strong Q1 profits.Front-month North Sea Brent crude-oil futures were down 1% at $113.28 a barrel.Investors also eyed Wall Street futures in the green amid mixed closes overnight on Asian exchanges.In economic news, the European Union and Japan agreed to expand cooperation across data, digital identity, AI, quantum, infrastructure, standardization, and online platform issues, the EU-Japan Digital Partnership Council reported.The pan-continental Stoxx Europe 600 Index was up 0.5% mid-session.The Stoxx Europe 600 Technology Index was up 1.6%, and the Stoxx 600 Banks Index gained 0.1%.The Stoxx Europe 600 Oil and Gas Index rose 0.7%, while the Stoxx 600 Europe Food and Beverage Index edged 0.6% higher.The REITE, a European REIT index, gained 0.2%.On the national market indexes, Germany's DAX was up 1.3%, but the FTSE 100 in London lost 1.3%. The CAC 40 in Paris was up 0.6%, and Spain's IBEX 35 advanced 1.5%.Yields on benchmark 10-year German bonds were higher, near 3.1%.The Euro Stoxx 50 volatility index was down 3.3% at 24.08, but still indicating above-average volatility for European stock markets in the next 30 days, a negative signal. A reading above 20 indicates choppier markets ahead, while below 20 suggests calmer exchanges.

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Seres Group's Vehicle Sales, Output Slide in April

Seres Group (SHA:601127, HKG:9927) sold 35,461 vehicles in April, down 0.8% from a year earlier.Output for the month slipped 4.2% year over year to 37,167 units, the vehicle maker said Tuesday in a Hong Kong bourse filing.For the four months ended April 30, group sales and output were up 19% and 15.4%, respectively, to 123,906 vehicles and 123,876 units.

$HKG:9927$SHA:601127

Singapore Stocks Edge Down as Middle East Tensions Offset Upbeat Retail Data

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