Singapore stocks finished higher on Thursday, with the benchmark Straits Times Index (STI) up 16.95 points, or 0.54 percent, to close at 3,175.52. A total of 2.03 billion shares changed hands with turnover of 1. 27 billion Singapore dollars (1.05 billion U.S. dollars). Gainers outnumbered losers 198 to 196, while 562 others finished unchanged. The STI index gained 1.78 points, or 0.06 percent, to close at 3,158.57 on Wednesday.