Singapore: Macro Resilience in a Higher Risk Global Environment The advance 1Q26 GDP report indicates that Singapore’s economy has remained resilient on a YoY basis, while overall sequential momentum has softened amid rising imported cost pressures. March PMI data pointed to businesses placing greater emphasis on margin protection, inventory management, and supply resilience, as input and output prices continue to rise and stockbuilding accelerates. Taken together, these developments are consistent with an operating environment increasingly shaped by external cost and geopolitical risks rather than a sharp deterioration in domestic demand. The MAS MPS on April 14 also made a slight increase in the rate of appreciation of the S$NEER policy band. This allows the Singapore dollar to appreciat
📊SGX Market in April: Fund Flows, Yield Plays & Hidden Growth Names
Hi Tigers 👋 Singapore’s market may look “quiet” on the surface — but beneath that stability, there are actually some interesting shifts happening. So the question is: 👉 Where is the money flowing, and where are the real opportunities now? Let’s break it down. 1. 📊 Market Overview: Stability with a Positive Bias The $Straits Times Index(STI.SI)$ is showing steady resilience: YTD: +6.7% Trading close to its 52-week highs Compared to global markets, Singapore continues to stand out as a low-volatility, defensive market. At the same time, the macro backdrop is quietly improving: 3M SORA declining → easing liquidity conditions SG 10Y bond yield ~2.2% → relatively stable rate environment 💡 What does this mean? Lower rates + stable yields = supportive
1Q26 Buybacks Top S$500M Led by Singtel, OCBC & Keppel
Companies often repurchase shares to support employee compensation plans or to deploy surplus capital more effectively. ACRA maintain that buybacks can enhance key financial metrics such as Earnings per Share (EPS) and Return on Equity (ROE), take advantage of perceived undervaluation, and reduce the overall cost of capital. In 1Q26 close to 50 primary-listed companies in Singapore have collectively repurchased close to S$560 million worth of shares on the open market, from around S$330 million during 1Q25 and S$232 million in 1Q24. The table details the stocks that booked more than S$100,000 in share buybacks in 1Q26, with the average prices including clearing charges. Almost three-fifths of the total consideration was contributed by three companies alone, Singtel, Oversea-Chinese Banking
S-REITs Slide in Q1: iEdge S-REIT Index Falls as Retail Buys Dip
S‑Reits, as measured by the iEdge S‑Reit Index, slipped in the first quarter of 2026, as geopolitical tensions weighed on investor sentiment. The index rose slightly in January, but declined 7% in March amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, leading to negative total returns of 6.4% in Q1 2026. Despite weaker price performance, retail investor activity in S‑Reits increased in March. Retail investors were net buyers, with net inflows exceeding S$300 million over the month, reflecting increased participation during the market pullback. The 10 S‑Reits that recorded the highest retail investor inflows in the year thus far were $CapLand Ascendas REIT(A17U.SI)$$Frasers