Singapore shares started the week in red, closing lower on Monday, tracking regional gains, despite reporting an 8.3% year over year increase in its manufacturing output during December 2025.

The Straits Times Index (STI), a key benchmark for the Singapore Exchange, ranged between 4,854.05 and 4,898.14 throughout the day. It ended the session at 4,860.93, down 30.52 points or 0.6% compared to Friday's close.

Wilmar Intl, Food Empire, Hong Leong Asia up over 3%; DBS down 0.6%; SIA Engineering, OCBC Bank down over 1%.

Singapore's manufacturing output increased 8.3% year-on-year in December 2025, backed by increased outputs from several clusters, according to data from EDB Singapore.

In corporate news, shares of MoneyMax Financial Services (SGX:5WJ) surged over 12% at the close as the company was granted an approval in-principle by the SGX-ST for its proposed transfer to the Mainboard of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading.

Rex International's shares were up over 5% as its subsidiary, Akrake Petroleum Benin, revealed that it is set to finish its drilling operations on the AK-2H production well in the Seme Field in Block 1, Benin, West Africa, with the well expected to be ready for production in February.

Meanwhile, shares of Ho Bee Land (SGX:H13) were up over 1% at the close as its subsidiary, Elimbah Land, agreed to acquire a development site in Queensland, Australia, for AU$318.5 million.