Singapore’s Straits Times Index slipped 0.3% to 2,736.17 at the close, reported Bloomberg. Nine stocks dropped for every five shares that rose on the 30-member gauge.

 

Stocks on the measure trade at 14.6 times estimated earnings, compared with about 10 times at the start of 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The following shares were among the most active in the market. 

 

Bulk carriers: The Baltic Dry Index, which measures the cost of shipping commodities, sank 3.9% on Jan 29 in London, taking losses in the previous four days to 12%. Cosco Corp. Singapore, (COS SP), the China-based shipbuilder that also operates bulk carriers, dipped 1.6% to $1.24. STX Pan Ocean Co. (STX SP), South Korea’s biggest bulk carrier, dropped 1.4% to $14.44.

 

Biosensors International Group (BIG SP), the maker of drug-coated stents, advanced 7.5% to 86 cents after Nomura Holdings Inc. reiterated its “buy” rating and lifted its share-price forecast to $1.23 from $1.10, saying the sales outlook for the company’s products is strong.

 

K-REIT Asia (KREIT SP), the office landlord partly owned by Keppel Land (KPLD SP), rose 1.9% to $1.08. The company said it has agreed to buy a 50% stake in an office building in Brisbane, Australia for $208.6 million.

 

Postal service provider Singapore Post (SPOST SP) added 1% to $1.02. The company said third-quarter profit rose 21% from a year earlier to $44.1 million.

 

Singapore Technologies Engineering (STE SP), Asia’s biggest aircraft maintenance company, climbed 2.6% to $3.17. The company said it won a $58.8 million contract for the disassembly and recycling of ammunition in an African country.

 

TPV Technology (TPV SP), the world’s biggest contract maker of computer monitors, surged 12% to 93 cents. The company said it may get a HK$6.62 billion ($1.19 billion) takeover bid led by China Electronics Corp., its biggest shareholder.

 

Wilmar International (WIL SP), the world’s biggest palm oil trader, slipped 1.2% to $6.51 after its Chinese unit’s application to list in Hong Kong lapsed. The application won’t be renewed. “This will be negative for the stock,” said Rohan Suppiah, an analyst at Kim Eng Holdings, told Bloomberg. “Some brokers have included the potential listing in their valuations.”