Singapore shares hit new high; STI up 0.5%
Across the broader market, advancers outnumbered decliners 315 to 191, after 1.46 billion securities worth $1.41 billion were traded.
SINGAPORE – The benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) notched a new high on the first day of the trading week on July 14, after Singapore's economy beat market expectations to expand 4.3 per cent year on year in the second quarter of this year.
The STI rose 0.5 per cent or 21.40 points to 4,109.21.
Across the broader market, advancers outnumbered decliners 315 to 191, after 1.46 billion securities worth $1.41 billion were traded.
The top gainer on the benchmark index on July 14 was DFI Retail Group, which rose 3.5 per cent or US$0.10 to US$2.98.
The day's biggest decliner was Yangzijiang Shipbuilding. The counter fell 0.9 per cent or $0.02 to $2.30.
Casino operator Genting Singapore was the most actively traded counter by volume, with 47.4 million shares worth $34.5 million traded. The counter closed flat at $0.73.
Regional exchanges ended mixed on July 14.
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Japan's Nikkei 225 was down 0.3 per cent and Australia's ASX 200 fell 0.1 per cent. Meanwhile, Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index was up, by 0.3 per cent, as was South Korea's Kospi, which rose 0.8 per cent.
Mr Paul Chew, head of research at Phillip Securities Research, noted that stock markets are at a record high, indicating market 'nonchalance' over US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs, due to his propensity to constantly extend and soften tariffs.
'However, the rally in financial markets could backfire and embolden Trump to become more aggressive in his tariffs,' he said.
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Online Citizen
25 minutes ago
- Online Citizen
PM Wong reaffirms ‘full support and confidence' in ST as netizens question its impartiality
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has underlined the importance of trusted journalism, declaring that Singapore needs credible media more than ever to help society distinguish fact from falsehood in an increasingly complex world. Speaking on 11 July 2025 at a dinner celebrating the 180th anniversary of The Straits Times (ST), Wong reiterated the government's 'full support and confidence' in the publication's mission to inform, educate, and hold Singapore society together. His backing comes amid ongoing debate over the independence of Singapore's main English-language newspaper. Many Singaporeans have taken to social media to question whether ST can operate free of state influence, especially after substantial government funding was pledged to its parent, SPH Media Trust (SMT). In February 2022, the government announced up to S$900 million in funding over five years for SMT, which operates ST. This support, of up to S$180 million a year, is intended to sustain quality journalism and keep the national newspaper financially viable as advertising revenues fall and audiences move online. The injection of public money followed SMT's restructuring in 2021, when it was separated from Singapore Press Holdings to function as a not-for-profit entity. The move was aimed at ensuring that the nation's flagship paper could adapt to the challenges of digital disruption and remain a trusted source of news. PM Wong: Government support essential to keep public service media viable, independent, and accountable Wong acknowledged that globally, traditional news outlets face shrinking newsrooms and commercial pressures that threaten editorial quality. He cautioned against allowing Singapore's national newspaper to fall into the hands of private billionaires with partisan aims or to let public trust in the press erode as a result of poor funding. 'We cannot allow that to happen here in Singapore,' Wong said. 'We do not want our national newspaper to be owned by billionaires with narrow or partisan agendas. Nor do we want public trust in the media to be eroded.' He explained that government support is essential to keep public service media viable, independent, and accountable to Singaporeans. PM Wong: ST must adapt and stay relevant Wong also acknowledged that ST faces unprecedented competition, not just from other reputable outlets but from content creators and distractions across countless digital platforms. He called on the paper's editors and journalists to adapt boldly to remain relevant to future readers, even if that means significant changes to the newspaper's style, tone, or length in the coming decade. 'I believe there will still be a place for print, and we should all do our best to keep print newspapers viable in Singapore for as long as possible,' Wong said. He added that while the government supports ST's mission, it would not dictate the editorial choices needed to keep the paper meaningful to Singaporeans. Minister Josephine Teo echoes call for trusted news Communications and Information Minister Josephine Teo also emphasised the government's commitment to trusted media. She noted that Singaporeans must have reliable sources to inform decisions affecting their daily lives and futures. 'We remain very committed to ensuring that our public service media can continue to capture the attention of our audience,' Teo said. Public doubts over impartiality: 'Will ST pose hard questions to those in power?' Despite such reassurances, scepticism persists. Many Singaporeans have questioned whether the government's financial backing allows ST to remain truly independent. On social media platforms such as Reddit and Facebook, netizens have asked if journalists at ST will pose hard questions to those in power. Some doubt whether the paper can avoid serving as a government mouthpiece, given its reliance on state funding. One Reddit comment described the newspaper as a 'monopoly' that still requires government help despite diversifying its business interests into property and aged care. Concerns about media control Another comment criticised what they saw as irony in PM Wong's rejection of billionaire-owned outlets, pointing out that ST is already heavily funded and indirectly controlled by the state. Some argued that both billionaire ownership and state control can threaten true journalistic independence. One user wrote that Singaporeans should not have to choose between 'billionaire-owned media and state-owned media,' but should instead have independent journalists who report in the public interest. Comparisons to other countries Several netizens compared Singapore's situation to international examples. One noted that while government ownership carries a partisan slant, at least an elected government is accountable to citizens — unlike unelected billionaires. However, others countered that real media independence comes from autonomy, not state or corporate influence. One cited the BBC as an outlet that once enjoyed a reputation for neutrality but has struggled to maintain it amid funding debates. The user suggested that ST could position itself as a truly neutral outlet providing balanced coverage of both Eastern and Western perspectives, arguing that doing so could fill a gap left by declining trust in other global media brands. Ravi Philemon: ST already heavily funded and controlled by the state Ravi Philemon, Chief of Red Dot United, also weighed in the debate, criticised PM Wong's remark about rejecting billionaire-owned media as ironic, pointing out that The ST is already heavily funded and controlled by the state. 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CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Impact of tariffs not temporary, world will not go back to status quo: SM Lee
SINGAPORE: The world will not go back to 'status quo', or what it was like before US President Donald Trump rolled out tariffs, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday (Jul 15). 'In trade policy, economic policy, once you make a move, you can't take it back. There are consequences,' he added. Mr Lee was speaking in a wide-ranging dialogue that went into geopolitics, climate change and domestic issues at a dinner held by the Economic Society Of Singapore (ESS). His comments came in response to a suggestion that the impact of the tariffs might be temporary, or lasting only while the current US president remains in office. 'When you first put in the tariffs, everybody complains,' he said. For example, those who need steel will ask why steel is so expensive and those who make chips will ask why they can't sell them to China, said Mr Lee in the dialogue with ESS president Euston Quah. 'But once you have put in the tariffs, and once new players come who depend on the tariffs and need the tariff protection, and you say 'I'm taking the tariffs away, we're going back to where we were', it's politically not possible.' When asked if Singapore is 'not so badly affected yet', Mr Lee quoted a Chinese idiom: 'The person who retreated 50 steps from the battle laughs at the person who retreated 100 steps, and says, 'you're worse off than me'.' While Singapore has a free trade agreement with the US, the US has decided that Singapore will face 10 per cent tariffs. 'We console ourselves, that that is the best rate, and we hope that we stay there,' said Mr Lee. Referencing Trump's move to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate deal, Mr Lee noted that from an economic perspective, the climate is a common resource, and global warming is inherently a "very difficult problem" to solve. The world may need to solve it by coming together and solving it collectively, he added. 'But when you do it collectively, there's always the risk of somebody opting out and saying 'sorry, you carry on, I will just free ride on your hard work and your sacrifices',' said Mr Lee. 'And whether or not one big country opts out from the Paris agreement, we have the risk of a free rider.' Even if one country opts out, the other countries should 'do the sensible things', he added. But even like-minded countries who come together have disagreements among themselves about the rules that will reduce their emissions, said Mr Lee. Some Southeast Asian countries have already said if America is going to be like this, they would have to reconsider their commitments, he noted. Singapore is trying to be a good global citizen and do its part so that it is in 'good standing' and not free riding on other people, he added. When asked about a new framework for the global economy, Mr Lee said: 'I suppose the best framework is the world temporarily minus one.' This means the framework mostly remains, while America still has to do business with the rest of the world, he added. 'But, well, for the time being, you wish the rules were different, and you are trying your best to change it. Temporarily, meaning maybe at some point you can come back and participate again in a more open and constructive way,' said Mr Lee. SHORT-TERM POLITICS Mr Lee also responded to a question about the risks of having 'short-term' leaders who are more 'risk-averse'. Most of the time, it is easier to be a leader who oversimplifies issues and offers a faster solution compared to one who 'gives you a long exposition more suited to the Economics Society', he said. Good leadership must have trust, as well as the ability to have political debate in the public arena, which is anchored on logic, reality and what the evidence shows, instead of what is 'politically expedient', said Mr Lee. Leaders need to understand complex economic issues, but are publicly able to express these issues in a way that is 'maybe stripped down', but sufficient for people to accept and have faith in them, he added. Responding to another question about how young Singaporeans should define success in today's society, Mr Lee said it is for young Singaporeans to define what they would like success to mean, adding that they were born with 'all the advantages' that their parents were not born with. The standard of living and opportunities for education have grown, Mr Lee said, adding that there are jobs available to Singaporeans all over the world. 'What do you want to make of your life, for yourself, for your family, for your country, for your fellow human beings?' he asked. "There are so many things you can do. Do not lie flat ... If you lie flat after a while, I hope you're ashamed of yourself," he added.


Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
US tariffs may last well after Trump; crucial for countries to deepen trade ties: SM Lee
SINGAPORE - Countries that support free trade should strengthen cooperation and work together to adapt to evolving global trade dynamics in response to the United States' increasingly protectionist stance. This is crucial, as it may be difficult for the US and the rest of the world to return to the pre-April 2 landscape, when President Donald Trump unveiled his so-called reciprocal trade policy, said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The former prime minister was speaking at the Economic Society of Singapore's (ESS) annual dinner on July 15. SM Lee noted that once tariffs are in place and new businesses emerge that rely on that protection, it becomes politically unfeasible to remove them, as these businesses, now with vested interests, will push back against any rollback. 'It will not go back to the status quo in trade policy, in economic policy. Once you make a move, you can't take it back.' He noted that former US president Joe Biden did not overturn earlier tariffs that Mr Trump imposed on China in his first term. SM Lee said that it is unclear if the US will in the future abandon its protectionist stance, but that should not stop other countries from strengthening international cooperation among one another. He noted that the US has taken a more narrow, bilateral and transactional view of international trade, and, while not perfect, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) framework has nonetheless enabled extensive free trade among many countries. 'We will have to see whether that is (still) possible, because when you have the biggest economy in the world taking a radically different approach and really not just withdrawing from, but expressing its disapproval of the WTO system, that will have repercussions.' Acting in defiance of economic laws and the interests of other countries will be very hard to sustain for the US, SM Lee said. 'One thing I have learned in government is that you can fail to follow economic principles, but you cannot repeal an economic law, whether you follow (it) or not, the economic law exists. 'That's just the way the world works. That's just the way human society works, and if you don't follow it, you may have your reasons and you want to override it and do something different, but market forces, incentives for people to act in certain ways in their own interests are very powerful,' he said. He noted that the Americans still have to trade with the rest of the world, such as in rare earths. 'Maybe at some point you (the US) can come back and participate again in a more open and constructive way, but that's the best possible scenario. It may or may not happen.' Asked what other countries should do in the meantime, SM Lee said they can build partnerships with like-minded economies within a region such as Asean, a broader grouping like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or through wider trade pacts such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. 'And I think we can also work together on the WTO to make the WTO work without being paralysed by consensus gridlock.' He said countries should also diversify their trade relationships by exploring new markets in regions like Latin America and Africa. SM Lee's dialogue with ESS president Euston Quah also touched on domestic economics and policies, such as on Singapore's certificate of entitlement (COE) system. A preferential system where COEs are offered at a lower cost to certain groups is not feasible for Singapore, SM Lee said. He was responding to a question by Prof Quah which made reference to calls for COEs to be made more affordable to some drivers, based on need, such as families with young children. This cannot work in tandem with the current COE system, which is meant to allocate scarce space on the road according to economic principles, SM Lee said. 'It becomes very difficult for the government to design a system which takes into account how many kids you have, how young they are, whether you've got somebody disabled in the family, whether you have an old folk, whether your job requires you to go place to place, delivering supplies, meeting customers, or whether you are driving to a place of work very far away,' he said. 'I think if you want to design a scheme which worries about all those things, it would fail.' He likened the COE to a proxy for road space, with prices fluctuating depending on demand from prospective car buyers. This system is working quite well, SM Lee said, adding that the government has issued additional COEs to give more people the right to own vehicles. 'If you want the price to be lower, then you must put out more COEs, which is what the government is now doing. We took from the future. We are putting out five, 10 per cent more, and therefore the supply is higher,' he added. 'There's really no easy way to make something which is valuable be distributed fairly, and at the same time, very cheap.' The Land Transport Authority has said it would add up to 20,000 additional COEs across all five vehicle categories over several years from this February. SM Lee also cited the Chinese city of Beijing, which adopted lotteries to determine which drivers could own licence plates. He said he did not believe this was the right solution for Singapore. 'I can guarantee every Singaporean affordable, convenient transportation. I cannot guarantee every Singaporean an affordable car.' He added that cars differ from Housing Board flats, where 'every Singaporean can get one, maybe three-room, maybe five-room, maybe two-room, but every Singaporean household can get one. But cars, no'. SM Lee noted that it is better to provide direct cash assistance to the group in need instead of creating complicated schemes to help them. 'You have a special need, for example, you have a kid. Rather than I give you a cheaper COE, I give you a bigger baby bonus, and if you want, you can use that to... help to pay for a little bit of a car,' he said.