Daily Markets Briefing: STI marks highest monthly gain, despite losses on Monday

The Straits Times Index shed 49.87 points or about 1.75%, to finish trading at 2,805.95 on Monday.

Despite its slump at the start of the trading week, STI recorded its highest monthly gain since 2009, thanks largely to the optimism of investors that COVID-19 vaccines will be rolled out soon.

Top stock losers for the day on Monday were Jardine Cycle & Carriage with 1.59 points to 7.57%, ComforDelGro with 0.07 to 4.07%, and Hongkong Land with 0.15 to 3.55%.

On to the global scene, the Trump Administration is set to add China's SMIC and its national offshore oil and gas producer CNOOC to the blacklist of alleged Chinese military companies.

That helped the S&P 100 gain 3.59 points or 0.22% to finish trading at1,665.87

London's FTSE 100 also ended the day in the negative territory, down by 1.59% at 6,266.19.