Singapore Hot Stocks-Singapore Airlines in focus

SINGAPORE, May 18 (Reuters) - Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI),
the second biggest carrier by market value, may be in focus on
Monday after it saw passenger loads stabilise in April, but
sees no signs of a pick up in demand.

U.S. stocks stumbled on Friday as energy shares dropped
along with oil prices on worries about weak demand,
overshadowing fresh reassuring economic data.

----------------------MARKET SNAPSHOT @ 2352 GMT
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INSTRUMENT LAST PCT CHG NET CHG
S&P 500 .SPX 882.88 -1.14% -10.190
USD/JPY JPY= 95.09 0.11% 0.100
10-YR US TSY YLD US10YT=RR 3.1176 -- -0.016
SPOT GOLD XAU= 930.95 0.03% 0.250
US CRUDE CLc1 56.66 0.57% 0.320
DOW JONES .DJI 8268.64 -0.75% -62.68
ASIA ADRS .BKAS 104.94 0.08% 0.08
-------------------------------------------------------------
> Wall St sags on oil; S&P ends worst week in 2 mths [.N] >
US dollar, yen rise as risk aversion hurt stock mkts[USD/] >
Bonds undermined by US industrial output, sentiment [US/] >
Gold hits 6-week high after US inflation data [GOL/] >
Oil falls nearly 4 pct on global demands worries [O/R]

Stocks and factors to watch:

-- SINGAPORE AIRLINES

- Singapore Airlines, the second biggest carrier by market
value, saw passenger loads stabilise in April but said Friday
there were no signs demand would pick up in an industry reeling
from fuel costs and flu worries. [ID:nSIN104319]

Deutsche Bank increased its price target on Singapore
Airlines to S$12.80 from S$10.20 and maintained its "buy"
rating, citing a gradual recovery in profits over the coming
quarters.

But Citi maintained its Sell/Low Risk rating with the
target price of S$8.50, saying the stock is likely to continue
to underperform until fundamentals improve.

-- SINGAPORE TELECOMMUNICATIONS (STEL.SI)

- DBS raised its price target for SingTel to S$3.05 from
S$2.74 while maintaining its "buy" rating, in view of an
improvement in the Singapore and Optus EBITDA and continued
growth in Singapore's data and mobile business.

-- NOBLE GROUP LIMITED (NOBG.SI)

- Australian coal miner Whitehaven Coal Ltd (WHC.AX) said
on Monday it has dropped a planned merger with fellow miner
Gloucester Coal Ltd (GCL.AX) after Gloucester recommended an
improved rival bid by commodity trader Noble Group <NOBG.SI).
[ID:nSYU006540].

- Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index .FTSTI rose
0.83 percent to 2139.78 points on Friday.

- The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI was down 0.75
percent to 8268.64 points. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC
fell by 0.54 percent to 1680.14 points.

(Reporting by Candida Ng; Editing by Kim Coghill)