DBS, OCBC, and UOB reported combined 1Q25 Net Interest Income (NII) of S$8.4 billion and combined non-interest income (NOII) of S$4.8 billion, resulting in a total income of S$13.2 billion. This represented the 10th consecutive quarter that combined NII surpassed S$8.0 billion. The 3 STI banks continue to advance their capital management and distribution initiatives, including share buybacks and special dividends.
Among the 100 most traded Singapore stocks in 2025, 10 stocks bucked the declines of overall market with double-digit percentage returns in 2Q25 through to 7 May. These stocks – CNMC Goldmine, Food Empire, Sheng Siong, Singtel, Hongkong Land, ST Engineering, Frasers Hospitality Trust, Geo Energy Resources, Jardine Matheson and Top Glove – averaged 14% total return, doubling their average year-to-date total return to 28%.
Singtel continued to record the most net institutional inflow in April. Both NetLink NBN Trust & StarHub also saw net institutional inflow in April, with the Telco Sector booking the most net inflow for the month. The FTSE ST Industrials Index also achieved a defensive 1.0% total return for April, with the sector booking S$79M in net institutional inflow.
Retail investors emerged as strong net buyers amid the sharp 14.6% decline of the Straits Times Index (STI) to 3,393.69, purchasing S$1.165 billion in Singapore stocks in April through April 9, and continued to be net buyers for the 3 successive sessions through April 14. Since April 14, retail investors have net sold S$253 million in Singapore stocks.
Institutions continued to net sell STI Banks. Telecommunications saw the highest net institutional inflow, with Singtel, NetLink NBN Trust, and Starhub ranking among the 15 most net bought stocks. Singtel has continued to book the highest net institutional inflow across the Singapore stock market in the 2025 year to date after also taking pole in 2024.
On April 7, 2025, the STI Index suffered its largest one-day drop in total return since March 2020, falling 7.5% to 3,540.50. Including DBS’s ex-dividend impact, total return declined 7.1%. Despite the downturn, institutions net bought S$153.0M in Singapore stocks, while retail investors acquired S$110.5M.
Despite the recent broad market downturn, STI REITs rebounding 5.2% over the past 5 sessions on S$50mil net institutional inflow, led by CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust and Frasers Centrepoint Trust. In contrast, STI banks (DBS, OCBC, UOB) experienced an average decline of 3.4% with S$490mil of net institutional outflow.
Within Singapore-listed mid-cap stocks with market capitalisations between S$1 billion and S$3 billion, Yangzijiang Financial, UOB Kay Hian, and Frasers Hospitality Trust saw the greatest increase in trading activity this year, while Sheng Siong, StarHub, and CapitaLand India Trust maintaining the highest ROE ratios.
SGX-listed Yangzijiang Financial, Hong Leong Finance, SingFinance, MoneyMax, Hutong Investment reported stronger earnings in FY24.
Singapore's stock market comprises nearly 150 Mid-to-Small-Cap companies with market capitalisation ranging from over S$100 million to under S$1 billion. Among the 10 most traded companies of this Mid-to-Small Cap group were four Technology Sector companies: AEM, Frencken, UMS, and CSE Global. UMS and CSE Global also ranked among the 10 Mid-to-Small Cap stocks with the highest net institutional inflow for the period, as did Valuetronics.
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