SINGAPORE, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- Singapore stocks closed higher on Friday, with the benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) up 0.82 percent or 29.05 points to close at 3550.36.

A total of 1.47 billion shares changed hands with a turnover of 1.40 billion Singapore dollars (about 1.06 billion U.S. dollars). Gainers outnumbered losers by 271 to 165.

The STI index closed down 0.58 percent or 20.6 points to close at 3521.31 Thursday.