Equities in Singapore rose 12 points, or 0.3%, to 4,220 around noon on Wednesday, tracking gains in US stock futures after U.S. President Donald Trump announced new trade deals with Japan. The Straits Times Index (STI) reached a new record high, extending its winning streak to 13 consecutive sessions. Traders also looked ahead to June inflation data, with markets expecting both headline and core inflation to edge up slightly to 0.9% and 0.7%, respectively. The forecasts remain within the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s target range, raising hopes for a third round of monetary policy easing this year. Supporting sentiment, last week’s data showed that Singapore’s GDP grew more than expected in Q2, while exports in June posted their strongest increase in 11 months. Gains were led by consumer durables, commercial services, and tech stocks. Among the top performers were DBS Group (1.4%), Jardine Cycle & Carriage (1.2%), Capital Investment (0.7%), and City Developments (0.7%).