Singapore stocks close lower

Singapore, March 24 (IANS) Singapore stocks finished lower on Thursday, with the benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) down 34.59 points, or 1.20 percent, to close at 2,847.39.

A total of 1.82 billion shares changed hands with turnover of 1.20 billion Singapore dollars ($871.7 million), Xinhua news agency reported.

Decliners outnumbered gainers 281 to 133, while 507 others finished unchanged.

The STI index gained 1.33 points, or 0.05 percent, to close at 2,881.98 on Wednesday.