2026 Buyback Consideration Exceeds Full-Year 2025 Total
Over the first nine months of 2026 (9M26), 80 primary-listed companies in Singapore collectively repurchased S$2.38 billion of shares on the open market, surpassing the S$2.23 billion recorded for the whole of 2025, which itself was a record high across the 10 years covered by this report series. Companies repurchase shares to support employee compensation plans or deploy surplus capital more effectively. ACRA notes that buybacks can enhance key financial metrics such as Earnings per Share (EPS) and Return on Equity (ROE), take advantage of perceived undervaluation and support efficient capital management. MU 05102026 In September, around 40 primary-listed companies repurchased a combined S$295.4 million of shares on the open market. $Singtel(Z74.SI
Rising offshore rates, sustained chartering demand and firm order books are lifting earnings across Singapore’s maritime sector. Clarksons Research reported that 2026 is on track to be a historically strong year for newbuild contracting, with 2,128 ships ordered in the year to date, double the ten-year average. The medium-term outlook also remains constructive, with maritime trade forecast to grow 2% annually between 2026 and 2030. The top 10 maritime stocks by return on equity (ROE) recorded an average ROE of 24.4% as at 30 September 2026. Outperformers include Yangzijiang Shipbuilding and small- and mid-cap names, such as Nam Cheong, Beng Kuang Marine, Marco Polo Marine, and ASL Marine Holdings. 1. $YZJ Shipbldg SGD(BS6.SI)$ Yangzi
Over the five sessions through to 1 October, more than 80 director interests and substantial shareholdings were filed for close to 40 primary-listed stocks. Directors or CEOs reported 22 acquisitions and no disposals, while substantial shareholders recorded 28 acquisitions and five disposals. In addition, the five sessions saw 26 primary-listed companies conduct buybacks with a total consideration of S$47.8 million, led by United Overseas Bank, Keppel and Singapore Telecommunications. 1. $Cortina(C41.SI)$ Cortina Completes S$55 Million Equal Access Buyback On 2 October, Cortina Holdings filed a daily share buyback notice confirming the purchase of 13,246,273 shares under its off-market equal access offer for a total consideration of
STI Reaches Record High Before September Consolidation
$Straits Times Index(STI.SI)$ Consolidates After Record High, STI ETF Milestone and Catalist and Technology Indices Outperform The Straits Times Index ended September at 5,675.88, declining 1.4% during the month after reaching a record high of 5,828.5 on 4 September. This brought its 9M26 total return to 26.4%, moderately ahead of the FTSE Asia Pacific Index's 22.2% total return over the same period. $SS SPDR STI ETF(ES3.SI)$ and $Amova STI ETF S$D(G3B.SI)$ ended the month at S$5.769 and S$5.874 respectively, with the two ETFs booking net inflow of S$293 million in September, representing 19 successive months of net inflow totalling S$1.96 billion. This bro