For the first 6 months of 2023 (1H23), the STI declined 1.4% in price to 3,205.91, with reinvested dividends boosting the total return of Singapore’s benchmark to 1.2%. Outside of the STI, actively traded stocks that booked the highest total returns in 1H23 included Dyna-Mac, Tianjin Pharmaceutical Da Ren Tang, Delfi, Food Empire, PropNex, Marco Polo Marine & Samudera Shipping Line.
After generating an 8.4% total return in 2022, the STI has produced a 2.4% total return year-to-date as of April 14, 2023. The 2 STI tracking ETFs maintain combined AUM of S$2.2 billion. The 5 strongest performers of the STI in the year-to-date included Sembcorp Industries, Keppel Corporation, Genting Singapore, Keppel DC REIT and Mapletree Logistics Trust.
The iEdge SG Advanced Manufacturing Index is comprised of 110 stocks. For 1Q23, the Index constituents booked S$52 million of net institutional inflow, led by inflow to Sembcorp Marine, ST Engineering, Thai Beverage, Tianjin Pharmaceutical Da Ren Tang, Venture Corporation, Nanofilm Technologies, Halcyon Agri, Frencken, Top Glove, and ISDN. These 10 stocks averaged a 9.0% total return in 1Q23.
STI constituents that booked the highest net institutional inflow proportionate to quarter-end market cap included Sembcorp Industries, Genting Singapore and Keppel DC REIT, while Keppel Corp, Yangzijiang Shipbuilding and City Developments booked the highest net institutional outflow proportionate to quarter-end market cap in 1Q23. The STI booked a 0.8% total return for 1Q23.
For the first 12 weeks of 2023 the iEdge S-REIT Index generated a 3% total return, with the FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Global REITs Index declining 4%. Within the S-REIT Sector, Industrial S-REITs averaged the highest median total returns over the past 12 weeks at 4%, while Office REITs booked the highest median decline in total return at -8%. The trio of REITs that booked the highest net institutional inflows proportionate to respective current market value over the period are CapitaLand China Trust, Keppel DC REIT and Paragon REIT.
The past 6 sessions (10 March to 17 March) have seen the STI trade below 3,200. The 6 trading sessions saw the Singapore stock market book S$133mil net outflow of institutional fund and S$334mil net inflow of retail fund. Singapore stocks that booked the highest net retail inflows over the six sessions included DBS, UOB, OCBC, Yangzijiang, City Developments, Keppel Corp, Jardine C&C, Suntec REIT, Venture Corp and Jardine Matheson, while Wilmar, Sembcorp and Genting Singapore booked the most net institutional inflow.
Global stocks have been led by the Technology Sector and SEMI Industry over the past 4 weeks, after these segments led declines in 2022. Over the past 4 weeks, Venture Corp, UMS & Frencken have ranked as Singapore’s most traded Technology stocks with the trio averaging 14% gains, while booking S$48 million of net fund inflows. ISDN, which reported 70% of its FY21 revenue to China, led the price performances of the most actively traded SGX-listed tech stocks.
Within the S-REIT Sector, the hospitality segment booked the highest net fund inflows and highest average total returns over the past 13 sessions, followed by the 2 pure-play data centre REITs. This follows the stapled hospitality trusts averaging flat total returns in 2022, while also drawing net fund inflows. Debt-to-asset ratios of S-REITs have anecdotally held some level of investor influence. Key areas of interest for the REIT Sector in 2023 include the impact of energy costs, higher interest rates, occupancy rates, rental reversions, acquisitions, and fundraising.
The Straits Times Index (STI) generated a 4.1% price gain in 2022, with dividend distributions boosting the total return to 8.4%. This was the strongest stock benchmark performance for year 2022 across the Asia Pacific and Developed Indices, with the FTSE Asia Pacific Index and FTSE Developed Indices declining 16.7% and 18.3% in total return respectively.
The STI outperformance to the FTSE Developed Index was consistent throughout the year, in part due to the Technology Sector weighing the global stock market from the outset. The STI’s technology exposure is limited to Venture Corporation (SGX:V03). The STI’s 7% USD total return for 2022 through to 16 Dec, compared to 18% and 17% declines in USD total return for the FTSE Developed Index and FTSE Emerging Index.
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