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SINGAPORE share prices, trading in a volatile market, will take their cue next week from US employment figures, dealers said.
They said investors hoped the data, to be released later on Friday, would give clearer signals on the direction of the world's biggest economy which has already sparked worries about rising inflationary pressures.
The US economy has suffered from a severe housing downturn and tight credit markets.
Most analysts predicted the US report would show that 70,000 jobs were created last month, after 94,000 in November, and the jobless rate inched up to 4.8 per cent, from 4.7 per cent.
'If the employment numbers react positively, share prices will follow suit,' said Mr Song Seng Wun, regional economist at CIMB-GK Research.
Mr Song said share prices will also be influenced by the direction of global oil prices which hit the symbolic US$100 mark for the first time on Wednesday, helping to send US and regional stock markets lower.
Mr Najeeb Jarhom, senior vice-president at Fraser Securities, said the market remains volatile.
Next Thursday the Singapore Exchange is to launch its revamped Straits Times Index of 30 blue-chip companies ranked by market capitalisation as of August 31.
For the holiday-shortened week ended January 4, the Straits Times Index finished 0.23 per cent or 8.03 points lower at 3,437.79.
Average volume was 1.46 billion shares worth S$1.61 billion (US$1.12 billion) compared with 1.10 billion shares worth S$1 billion the previous week. -- AFP
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