S'pore's blue-chip index closes lower as oil surges above US$100

STI loses 0.2%; DFI Retail worst performer, down 5.3%. | Jardine Matheson tops the local index with 2.2% gain. | Decliners beat gainers 302 to 262 across broader market.

- Tay Peck Gek

Brent crude price movements continued to hold equities to ransom on March 12, with Singapore bluechip stocks declining after the oil surged above US$100 a barrel.

The Straits Times Index (STI) closed 8.48 points or 0.2 per cent lower at 4,855.33, while the iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index rose eight points or 0.6 per cent to 1,445.12.