Singapore shares closed 0.19 percent higher on Monday, buoyed by U.S. data which maintained expectations for a mild recovery and continued loose Federal Reserve monetary policy to support it. U.S. data showed on Friday payrolls rose by 157,000 last month, while the Institute for Supply Management said its index of national factory activity rose to its highest since April. The Dow Jones industrial average rose to 14,000 points for the first time since October 2007 and the Standard and Poor's 500 Index hit its highest point since December of that year. SIAS Research said Asian markets ended the week higher on Friday due to the positive Chinese manufacturing data released. The positives vibes was further reinforced during the U.S. session after jobs and manufacturing data showed the economy is recovering. These factors are likely to increase the appetite for risk, and could give Asian markets a lift for the coming sessions. DBS Group Research said Straits Times Index looks set to overcome the Nov. 9, 2010 high of 3,313 points to make a new post- global-financial-crisis high. However, the research house also added the pace of ascend that Straits Times Index enjoyed over the past 2 months should soon give way to a more gradual rise that could see the index heading pass 3,600 points by year-end. Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index rose 6.23 points to 3, 297.37 points. Trading volume was 3.36 billion shares worth 1.74 billion Singapore dollars. Decliners outnumbered advancers 279 to 257, while 425 stocks did not move. Among top actives, Rowsley jumped 13.8 percent to 33 Singapore cents. It has signed the sale and purchase agreements to acquire RSP Architects Planners & Engineers, Singapore's leading architecture practice. CapitaRetail China Trust closed flat at 1.795 Singapore dollars. The trust which owned shopping malls said its fourth-quarter distributable income rose 7 percent to 16.8 million Singapore dollars, helped by higher rental income from tenants' sales. Among top gainers, Jardine Cycle and Carriage rose 1.7 percent to 51.64 Singapore dollars, while Jardine Matheson became one of the top losers by falling 1.2 percent to 63.63 U.S. dollars. (1 U. S. dollar equals 1.24 Singapore dollars)