The STI is down 0.1% at 3,257.96 midday amid broadly lower Asian bourses after Friday’s weakness on Wall Street, spurred by disappointing US employment data.

Though the broader market is slightly positive, gainers just pip decliners, while 1.27 billion shares have been traded worth $825 million, showing interest in lower liners and penny stocks is still rife, with Transcu (E15.SG), +6.3% at $0.085 and MDR (A27.SG), flat at $0.05, the two most active stocks today.

UOB KayHian says the index’s technicals are still positive and any retracement is an opportunity to accumulate.

It adds, Friday’s drop in the STI was “much warranted for investors to cash in some profits.”

Tips support at 3,220, with resistance at 3,300, while other analysts say nearer support lies at 3,240. Banks are mostly lower, led by OCBC (O39.SG), down 1.2% at $10.18, though in fairly low volume. Wilmar (F34.SG) is +0.7% at $5.74, after its analysts briefing Friday.