"Singapore shares closed 1.35 per cent lower in cautious trading on Thursday as investors awaited a report on US jobs data. The blue-chip Straits Times Index fell 31.73 points to 2,320.82. Decliners outnumbered rising stocks 251 to 176, with 831 issues unchanged.

Wall Street fell hard on Thursday after a government report highlighted a weak labour market that could hinder prospects for recovery from the brutal recession. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 223.32 points or 2.63% to end the holiday-shortened week at 8,280.74 after trading was extended by 15 minutes to cope with what the New York Stock Exchange called "system irregularities." The Nasdaq fell 49.20 points or 2.67% to 1,796.52."

- 03 Jul 2009