STI ends firmer as US Fed pauses interest rate cuts

Blue-chip barometer up 0.4% at 4,930.03 but Next 50 dips Sembcorp is STI’s best performer, rising 3.5% DBS nears $60 milestone as banks close mixed

- Tay Peck Gek

The Straits Times Index (STI) closed higher on Jan 29 after the US Federal Reserve overnight held interest rates unchanged during its first policy gathering of 2026.

The blue-chip barometer closed 0.4 per cent or 20.69 points up at 4,930.03. Only three of the index’s 30 constituents finished the day lower. But the iEdge Singapore Next 50 Index — which tracks the performance of the 50 largest companies listed on the mainboard after the STI stocks - dropped 0.3 per cent or 3.85 points to 1,501.25.