SINGAPORE, Nov 17, 2009 (AFP) - Singapore shares closed 0.68 percent lower Tuesday as investors took profit following strong gains the previous day, dealers said.

The blue-chip Straits Times Index fell 18.90 points to 2,764.95, after rising to a 15-month high on Monday.

Volume was 1.28 billion shares worth 1.37 billion Singapore dollars (992 million US). Decliners outnumbered risers 345 to 142, with 764 issues unchanged.

'The value of shares traded on the Singapore exchange continues on a downtrend. We think this is due to the year-end holiday season that is typically a lull period,' said DBS Vickers Securities.

'This trend should continue a little more or at best stablise until post-Christmas, when trading activity starts to pick up again.'

Banking stocks were mixed. DBS climbed 14 cents to 14.70 dollars, while United Overseas Bank eased 28 cents to 19.66 and Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp dipped five cents to 8.45.

Container shipping firm Neptune Orient Lines was down two cents to 1.65, property developer CapitaLand declined 10 cents to 4.13 and publisher Singapore Press Holdings pulled back two cents to 3.77.

Singapore Telecom rose two cents to 2.97.