Singapore stocks close 0.23 pct lower

SINGAPORE, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Singapore stocks closed lower on Wednesday, with the benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) went down 0.23 percent or 8.3 points to close at 3541.91.

A total of 2.12 billion shares changed hands with a turnover of 1.42 billion Singapore dollars (about 1.07 billion U.S. dollars). Losers outnumbered gainers by 256 to 198.

The STI index closed up 0.39 percent or 13.8 points to close at 3550.21 Tuesday.