SINGAPORE, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Singapore stocks closed higher on Monday, with the benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) up 0.54 percent or 18.96 points to close at 3,548.23.

A total of 1.28 billion shares changed hands with a turnover of 1.04 billion Singapore dollars (about 770.9 million U.S. dollars). Losers outnumbered gainers by 201 to 193.

The STI index closed down 0.21 percent or 7.49 points to close at 3,529.27 last Friday.?