<div id="readability-page-1"><div><p>[SINGAPORE] Singapore stocks ended higher on Thursday (Feb 5), with the Straits Times Index (STI) marking a third straight session at record levels and moving closer to the psychological 5,000-point mark.</p><p>The blue-chip barometer rose 0.2 per cent or 10.37 points to close at 4,975.87. The iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index gained 0.3 per cent or 4.21 points, ending the day at 1,502.39.</p><p>Across the broader market, gainers outpaced losers 306 to 299, with 1.5 billion securities worth S$2 billion changing hands.</p><p> Keppel  led the STI’s gainers with a 6.1 per cent or S$0.67 surge to a 12-year high of S$11.62. The move came after the asset manager reported a net profit of S$645.4 million from continuing operations for the second half ended Dec 31, 2025, up 27.2 per cent from a year earlier.</p><p>Investor sentiment was also buoyed by the announcement that Piyush Gupta will assume the role of Keppel chairman on Apr 17. The 66-year-old former DBS CEO had been appointed Keppel’s deputy chairman and non-executive independent director in July 2025.</p><p> Thai Beverage  was the worst-performing STI constituent on Thursday, sliding 3.1 per cent or S$0.015 to S$0.465 after trading ex-dividend.</p><p>The three local banks ended mostly higher.  DBS  climbed 0.6 per cent or S$0.33 to S$59.66,  UOB  gained 0.2 per cent or S$0.06 to S$38.65, while  OCBC  was almost flat, edging up 0.05 per cent or S$0.01 to S$21.45.</p><p>Key regional markets were mixed. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.1 per cent, while Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.9 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi slid 3.9 per cent, and the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI declined 0.7 per cent.</p></div></div>

AJBU

K71U

<p>Singapore's Straits Times Index (STI) rose 0.2% to close at 4,975.87, nearing the 5,000 mark, marking its third consecutive session at record levels. Keppel led the gains with a 6.1% increase after reporting a net profit of S$645.4 million for the second half of 2025. Investor sentiment was boosted by the announcement of Piyush Gupta as the new chairman of Keppel. In contrast, Thai Beverage fell 3.1% after trading ex-dividend. Overall, gainers outnumbered losers in the broader market, with 1.5 billion securities traded.</p>

STI rises 0.2% to new high, edging closer to 5,000 mark