Oil rally continues as Brent tops US$50 a barrel

Oil prices continued to rally on Thursday with Brent oil topping US$50 a barrel following data showing lower US crude stockpiles.

Brent North Sea crude for delivery in October rose US$1.04 to US$50.89 a barrel in London, its first close above US$50 in nearly two months.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for September delivery gained US$1.43 to US$48.22 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Thursday's gains continued the upward trend in place for most of August, due in part to talk from Saudi Arabia and other producers that major oil exporters could agree to cap output next month.Click Here To Register For Free Trial Services OR Give A Missed Call : +6531581402 Follow Us On Twitter : www.twitter.com/epicresearchsg Like Us On Facebook : www.facebook.com/EpicResearchSingapore Need Any Assistance Feel Free To Mail Us at : info@epicresearch.sg

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Gold holds biggest jump since Brexit vote on lower Fed rate bets

Gold held the biggest daily increase since June and traded near the highest in almost three weeks as the dollar weakened amid diminishing bets on an interest-rate rise in September.

Bullion for immediate delivery traded at US$1,349.16 an ounce at 9:37am in Singapore, after surging 1.7 per cent on Tuesday, the most since the results of the Brexit vote came out on June 24, according to Bloomberg generic pricing.

The metal resumed its rally this year on reduced chances of the Federal Reserve tightening monetary policy this month after the Institute for Supply Management's index of US non-manufacturing industries slumped to its lowest level since Feb 2010.

A gauge of the greenback traded at the lowest level this month. The Federal Open Market Committee meets on Sept 20-21.Click Here To Register For Free Trial Services OR Give A Missed Call : +6531581402 Follow Us On Twitter : www.twitter.com/epicresearchsg Like Us On Facebook : www.facebook.com/EpicResearchSingapore Need Any Assistance Feel Free To Mail Us at : info@epicresearch.sg

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Oil prices up in Asia on Russia-Saudi talks

Crude prices rose in Asia on Tuesday after Russia and Saudi Arabia pledged to work on addressing a global supply glut, but analysts said gains would likely be limited after the two sides provided scant detail about their plans.

Saudi Energy Minister Khaled Al-Falih and his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak agreed to "act together" to steady the market but stopped short of agreeing to a production freeze.

On the sidelines of the G-20 summit in China, the ministers said they will act "together or in cooperation with other oil productions" and agreed to set up a "joint monitoring group" to offer recommendations to prevent price fluctuations.

News that the two sides were about to make an announcement sent both contracts soaring Monday but the gains were all but wiped out after the statement.Click Here To Register For Free Trial Services OR Give A Missed Call : +6531581402 Follow Us On Twitter : www.twitter.com/epicresearchsg Like Us On Facebook : www.facebook.com/EpicResearchSingapore Need Any Assistance Feel Free To Mail Us at : info@epicresearch.sg

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Gold holds gain on speculation Federal Reserve won't raise rates this month

Gold held an advance after the US reported weaker-than-expected jobs data, reducing speculation the Federal Reserve may increase interest rates as soon as this month.

Bullion for immediate delivery was 0.1 per cent lower at US$1,323.66 an ounce at 9:25am in Singapore, according to Bloomberg generic pricing. The metal rose 0.9 per cent to US$1,325.21 on Friday, the highest level at close since Aug 23.

Gold has rallied 25 per cent this year as the Fed refrained from further tightening, benefiting bullion which doesn't offer returns, and as the Brexit vote and turmoil in financial markets pushed investors to haven assets.

American employers added 151,000 workers to nonfarm payrolls last month following a 275,000 gain in July, a Labor Department report showed Friday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for 180,000.Click Here To Register For Free Trial Services OR Give A Missed Call : +6531581402 Follow Us On Twitter : www.twitter.com/epicresearchsg Like Us On Facebook : www.facebook.com/EpicResearchSingapore Need Any Assistance Feel Free To Mail Us at : info@epicresearch.sg

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Gold treads water as all eyes on US Jobs data for Fed clues

Gold headed for a second weekly decline ahead of a key US payrolls report that's expected to give investors direction on the Federal Reserve's tightening path.

Bullion for immediate delivery was little changed at US$1,314.40 an ounce at 9:03am in Singapore, according to Bloomberg generic pricing. The metal is down 0.5 per cent this week after touching US$1,302.56 on Thursday, the lowest level since June 24.

Gold's recent declines have eroded its 2016 rally as traders price in a higher probability of an interest rate increase in the world's largest economy, damping the appeal of bullion, which doesn't offer yield.

The US nonfarm payrolls report later Friday will be important in determining whether the Fed will raise borrowing costs as soon as this month. US employers probably added 180,000 jobs in August, according to economists' estimates.
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Gold holds monthly drop as payrolls in focus for data-driven Fed

Gold held last month's decline as investors await US jobs data due Friday for further clues on the timing of an interest rate increase.

Bullion for immediate delivery was little changed at US$1,309.70 an ounce at 9:15am in Singapore, according to Bloomberg generic pricing. The metal dropped to US$1,304.29 on Wednesday, the lowest level since June 24, and lost 3.1 per cent in August.

Gold's gains in 2016 have been dented after Federal Reserve officials indicated a greater likelihood of further monetary tightening before the end of the year.

Traders will scrutinise Friday's nonfarm payrolls report in light of Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer'scomments on Tuesday that the central bank will base decisions at its Sept 21 meeting on economic data.Click Here To Register For Free Trial Services OR Give A Missed Call : +6531581402 Follow Us On Twitter : www.twitter.com/epicresearchsg Like Us On Facebook : www.facebook.com/EpicResearchSingapore Need Any Assistance Feel Free To Mail Us at : info@epicresearch.sg

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Oil falls near US$47 a barrel as US crude rig count unchanged

Oil fell near US$47 a barrel as the number of US rigs drilling for oil remained unchanged and Royal Dutch Shell Plc said production isn't affected by storm preparations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Futures in New York dropped as much as 1.2 per cent after advancing 1.9 per cent over the previous two sessions on speculation informal Opec talks next month could result in some kind of output freeze.

A tropical depression near Florida, forecast to become a storm on Monday, is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico, according to the National Hurricane Center.

West Texas Intermediate for October delivery fell as much as 59 US cents to US$47.05 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange and traded at US$47.09 a barrel at 8 am Tokyo time.Click Here To Register For Free Trial Services OR Give A Missed Call : +6531581402 Follow Us On Twitter : www.twitter.com/epicresearchsg Like Us On Facebook : www.facebook.com/EpicResearchSingapore Need Any Assistance Feel Free To Mail Us at : info@epicresearch.sg

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Stocks Edge Higher After Fed Minutes

U.S. stocks rose slightly after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s July meeting shed little light on when the central bank might next raise interest rates.

The minutes showed Fed officials are seeking to keep their options open, with some of them wanting a rate increase but others pushing for more information.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 21.92 points, or 0.1%, to 18573.94, reversing earlier losses. The S&P 500 added 4.07 points, or 0.2%, to 2182.22 and the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.55 points, or less than 0.1%, to 5228.66.

All three indexes are hovering near records, confounding some traders and analysts.Click Here To Register For Free Trial Services OR Give A Missed Call : +6531581402 Follow Us On Twitter : www.twitter.com/epicresearchsg Like Us On Facebook : www.facebook.com/EpicResearchSingapore Need Any Assistance Feel Free To Mail Us at : info@epicresearch.sg

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Stocks to watch: Singtel, Epicentre, Sin Heng Heavy Machinery

SINGAPORE Telecommunications (Singtel): The telco said on Thursday it plans to buy a 21 per cent stake in Intouch Holdings PCL and a 7.39 per cent stake in Bharti Telecom from Temasek for S$2.47 billion in cash.

It said the acquisitions give it a unique opportunity to increase economic exposure to high-growth telecom sectors in Thailand and India.

Epicentre Holdings: The group has issued a profit warning for the financial year ended June 30, 2016, adding that it expects to report a loss, due to "lower sale from certain Apple products as well as erosion of gross profit margin derived from the sale of third party accessories as a result of increased price competition".

It also provided added provisions in anticipation of the soft information technology and consumer electronics sector.Click Here To Register For Free Trial Services OR Give A Missed Call : +6531581402 Follow Us On Twitter : www.twitter.com/epicresearchsg Like Us On Facebook : www.facebook.com/EpicResearchSingapore Need Any Assistance Feel Free To Mail Us at : info@epicresearch.sg

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Ex-BSI Asia CEO Brunner settles Singapore bonus suit with bank

Hanspeter Brunner, BSI SA's former Asia chief who was referred to Swiss and Singapore regulators over the bank's ties with a Malaysian state firm, has settled a lawsuit seeking deferred payments, according to the bank's lawyer.

Mr Brunner's lawsuit alleged that BSI's Singapore unit breached bonus agreements and a separation pact without any legal basis. Mr Brunner, 64, was among six BSI bankers referred by Singapore's central bank to prosecutors over lapses in dealing with 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

He's also one of two former BSI executives the Swiss financial regulator has started proceedings against. Mr Brunner's retirement was announced in March.

"Hanspeter Brunner has withdrawn his claim against the bank in its entirety," Muralli Rajaram, a Singapore-based lawyer for BSI, said Thursday by phone, confirming the settlement.Click Here To Register For Free Trial Services OR Give A Missed Call : +6531581402 Follow Us On Twitter : www.twitter.com/epicresearchsg Like Us On Facebook : www.facebook.com/EpicResearchSingapore Need Any Assistance Feel Free To Mail Us at : info@epicresearch.sg

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Natural-gas futures pare gains after EIA says U.S. supplies up 29 billion cubic feet

Natural-gas futures pared their gains to trade nearly flat on Thursday after the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that supplies of the commodity rose 29 billion cubic feet for the week ended August 5. That was above the average rise of 25 billion cubic feet expected by analysts polled by S&P Global Platts. Total stocks now stand at 3.317 trillion cubic feet, up 361 billion cubic feet from a year ago and 440 billion cubic feet above the five-year average, the government said. September natural gas NGU16, -0.78% traded nearly flat at $2.563 per million British thermal units, barely changed from Wednesday's settlement of $2.561. It traded higher at $2.572 before the data.

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Singapore stocks trade higher on Monday

SINGAPORE'S stock markets opened higher on Monday with the benchmark Straits Times Index up 23.15 points or 0.82 per cent at 2,851.32 by 9.04am. This followed gains from the US on Friday and Tokyo markets on Monday.

Tokyo stocks opened sharply higher on Monday following another record on Wall Street after traders welcomed strong US jobs data. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rallied 1.28 per cent, or 207.84 points, to 16,462.29 in opening deals, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares soared 1.23 per cent, or 15.71 points, to 1,295.61.

On Singapore's bourse, some 79.9 million shares worth S$81.9 million had changed hands by 9.04am, with gainers outnumbering losers 109 to 51.

The three local banks were among the highest value traded counters, with UOB up seven cents to S$18.00, DBS up seven cents to S$14.90, and OCBC up nine cents to S$8.40.
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Singapore shares open lower on US stocks slip

SINGAPORE shares on Wednesday opened lower following Wall Street's overnight loss as shares of retailers and carmakers tumbled.

The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) opened 0.98 per cent or 28.01 points lower at 2,828.66.

As at 9.03am, some 62.2 million shares worth S$82.4 million changed hands, with losers beating gainers 81 to 44.Click Here To Register For Free Trial Services OR Give A Missed Call : +6531581402 Follow Us On Twitter : www.twitter.com/epicresearchsg Like Us On Facebook : www.facebook.com/EpicResearchSingapore Need Any Assistance Feel Free To Mail Us at : info@epicresearch.sg

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Stocks to watch: A-Reit, OUE H-T, OKP, China Star

AFTER oil weakness led a Wall Street retreat overnight, trading here is expected to stay muted, except for certain rotational plays.

Counters that may see some active trade on Tuesday morning include Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust (A-Reit), OUE Hospitality Trust (OUE H-T), OKP and China Star Food Group.

Ascendas Real Estate Investment Trust: A-Reit said on Tuesday morning that its private placement of 64 million new units was over six times covered and priced at the top end of the price range at S$2.417 per new unit. This represents a 3.3 per cent discount to the volume weighted average price (VWAP) for trades done on Monday.

The private placement drew strong demand from new and existing institutional, accredited and other investors mainly from Asia and the United States, A-Reit added.
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Singapore shares open lower on Tuesday

SINGAPORE shares opened lower on Tuesday, extending a retreat on Wall Street on the back of oil price weakness.

At 9.01am, the benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) was down 20.97 points or 0.7 per cent at 2,871.55.

Some 43.8 million shares worth S$76.6 million changed hands.

Losers outpaced winners 77 to 55.

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SINGAPORE MARKET CLOSING UPDATE OF 27th JULY'2016

Singaporeshares close 0.3 per cent up




Singapore equities ended 0.3 per cent higher on Wednesday, with the Straits Times Index gaining 8.05 points to 2,941.49.




Volume was relatively weak, though. About 991.1 million shares worth S$818.5 million in total changed hands, which worked out to an average unit price of S$0.83 per share.




The most actively traded counter was Annica Holdings, which was flat at S$0.001 with 252.5 million shares changing hands. Other actives included CNMC Goldmine and Noble Group.




Gainers outnumbered losers 212 to 182, or about seven up for every six down.
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FTSE‬ Value-Stocks ASEAN strongest of the FTSE Value-Stocks Indices in 1H16

The FTSE Value-Stocks ASEAN Index was the strongest performer of the six Asia focused FTSE Value-Stocks Indices in the first half of 2016 with an 8.2% gain compared to an average decline of 13.0% for the five FTSE Value-Stocks Indices covering China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
Singapore maintains 12 constituents within the FTSE Value-Stocks ASEAN Index. These 12 stocks made up 31.3% of the Index weights as of the end of June. These 12 stocks also averaged a 4.8% total return in the year through to the end of last week, taking their average five-year total return to 31.3%.
Relative to their capitalisation size, the most actively traded of the 12 stocks over the past three months have been Ascendas REIT, Keppel Corporation and Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings. Click Here To Register For Free Trial Services OR Give A Missed Call : +6531581402 Follow Us On Twitter : www.twitter.com/epicresearchsg Like Us On Facebook : www.facebook.com/EpicResearchSingapore Need Any Assistance Feel Free To Mail Us at : info@epicresearch.sg

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OCBC cuts target price for SIA Engineering

OCBC Investment Research has cut its target price for SIA Engineering (SIA Engg) on the firm's weak core earnings. It lowered the company's fair value from S$3.70 to S$3.63, but kept its "hold" rating on the stock.

SIA Engg shares fell five cents or 1.3 per cent to S$3.70 as at 11.40am on Wednesday. The stock is also trading on an ex-dividend basis.

The group said on Tuesday its net profit rose from S$41.3 million in the first quarter last year to S$198.4 million in Q1 2016.

But this was boosted by a S$141.6 million gain from the divestment of its 10 per cent stake in Hong Kong Aero Engine Services (HAESL) to Rolls-Royce Overseas Holdings and Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company.

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Gold Market Update : Epic Research Singapore

Gold futures finished lower on Monday, extending losses from the previous session, as expectations for a U.S. Federal Reserve interest-rate increase later this year grow.

The Fed will conclude a two-day policy meeting Wednesday afternoon. While no monetary policy moves are expected, its statement will be watched closely for clues to future action.

Gold for August delivery on Comex GCQ6, -0.24%  fell $3.90, or 0.3%, to settle at $1,319.50 an ounce. Prices posted a second consecutive weekly loss on Friday as a stronger dollar and rising equities dulled its haven appeal. September silver SIU6, +0.02%  lost 4.2 cents, or 0.2%, at $19.647 an ounce.

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Gold Market Update : Epic Research Singapore

Gold futures managed to settle with a modest gain Thursday, during a rocky trading session that saw prices touch their lowest levels in about a month.

Weakness in the dollar and U.S. equities and expectations of accommodative central-bank policies combined to nudge gold prices higher.

August gold GCQ6, -0.67%  tacked on $11.70, or 0.9%, to settle at $1,331 an ounce. It saw a wide range of trading between a high of $1,332.30 and a low of $1,310.70, the weakest intraday price since June 23, according to FactSet data. It had settled Wednesday with a loss of 1% at $1,319.30. That close came just a day after gold marked its highest finish in nearly a week.

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