Of Singapore’s 50 most traded stocks in 2020, 12 stocks saw their 2020 trading activity more than double from 2019 levels. The 12 stocks generated median total returns of 23% in 2020, with nine gainers, and Singapore Airlines, SATS and CapitaLand Retail China Trust the three decliners.
Just as the sequential economic rebound within 2020 was uneven across industries, stocks less impacted by the social and economic measures to contain the COVID-19 outpaced stock benchmarks. The 12 stocks included UG Healthcare and Medtecs International which both generated exponential returns over the year.
Top Glove, Riverstone, Keppel DC REIT, Sheng Siong, Wilmar International, Mapletree Industrial Trust and UMS Holdings were also among the 12 stocks, with the 7 all generating positive returns in 2020, and representing some of the most defensive industries of the year – medical supplies, data centres, semiconductors and consumer staples.
Over the second half of 2020, the number of global COVID-19 infections grew eightfold, while prevalent testing and treatments saw the mortality rate decline from 4.9% to 2.2%. Global growth is estimated to have declined by 4.4% in 2020, with advance estimates seeing a similar 5.8% decline in Singapore.
Advance estimates released this morning have the Singapore manufacturing sector growing 7.1% in 2020, and the URA private property price index rising 2.2% for the year. Tonight the SIPMM PMI for December (Nov: 50.4) is expected to show a sixth month of expansion for Singapore’s overall manufacturing sector. While the pandemic, containment measures and vaccine development were the overarching market drivers in 2020 and are expected to remain so in 2021, global growth is expected to turnaround to 5.2% in 2021, with Singapore similarly expected to grow between 4.0% and 6.0%.
This more optimistic outlook has been built into the share prices, particularly during the final quarter of 2020. The Straits Times Index (STI) generated an 8.1% decline in 2020, after generating a 9.4% total return in 2019. Just as the sequential economic rebound within 2020 was uneven across industries, stocks less impacted by the social and economic measures to contain COVID-19 outpaced the benchmarks. At the same time, stocks less impacted and more impacted by COVID-19 saw remarkable increases in trading activity.
Of Singapore’s 50 most traded stocks in 2020, a dozen stocks saw their 2020 trading activity more than double from 2019 levels. These 12 stocks are tabled below, with the average daily turnovers for 2020 included in the second table further below. As a group they generated median total returns of 23% in 2020, with 9 gainers, and Singapore Airlines, SATS and CapitaLand Retail China Trust the three decliners.
On 6 November, CapitaLand Retail China Trust proposed an acquisition of five business park properties and the balance 49% interest in Rock Square. The REIT then proceeded raised approximately S$326.1 million comprising S$245.4 million from a Private Placement and S$80.7 million from a Preferential Offering. Continued securitisation of real estate assets is expected to continue as an overall REIT Sector theme in 2021.
| Stock | SGX Code |
Market Cap S$m |
4Q20 Total Return |
2020 Total Return |
2020 Volatility |
2020 Turnover Growth |
2020 Net Institutional Flow (S$M) |
2019 Net Institutional Flow (S$M) |
2020 Net Retail Flow (S$M) |
2019 Net Retail Flow (S$M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medtecs International | 546 | 549 | -7% | 2628% | 166% | 58263% | 22.5 | 0.0 | -12.5 | -0.1 |
| UG Healthcare | 8K7 | 361 | -30% | 1157% | 144% | 58630% | -15.0 | -0.2 | 18.8 | 0.2 |
| Top Glove | BVA | 16,045 | -25% | 300% | 81% | 22673% | -72.3 | 0.9 | 118.7 | 0.6 |
| Riverstone | AP4 | 1,645 | -36% | 143% | 70% | 5478% | -38.7 | -3.5 | 42.8 | 3.4 |
| Keppel DC REIT | AJBU | 4,589 | -3% | 38% | 33% | 103% | 6.0 | 20.3 | 27.8 | -3.5 |
| Sheng Siong | OV8 | 2,330 | -4% | 29% | 30% | 289% | -44.2 | 14.6 | 39.4 | -21.4 |
| Wilmar International | F34 | 29,370 | 6% | 17% | 38% | 104% | -42.1 | 140.6 | 116.1 | -241.5 |
| Mapletree Industrial Trust | ME8U | 6,794 | -9% | 16% | 40% | 114% | -46.3 | 69.5 | 61.3 | -17.9 |
| UMS | 558 | 576 | 11% | 10% | 50% | 115% | 18.6 | 43.3 | -10.7 | -56.6 |
| CapitaLand Retail China Trust | AU8U | 2,109 | 28% | -7% | 42% | 114% | -116.1 | 3.7 | 121.5 | 3.2 |
| SATS | S58 | 4,457 | 41% | -21% | 47% | 130% | -130.7 | 7.5 | 185.3 | -33.2 |
| SIA | C6L | 12,690 | 23% | -33% | 40% | 207% | -642.6 | -127.1 | 794.6 | 61.6 |
| Median | -4% | 23% | ||||||||
| Average | 0% | 356% |
Source: SGX StockFacts, Refinitiv and Bloomberg (Data as of 31 December 2020).
Singapore’s 50 most traded stocks in 2020
The full list of Singapore’s 50 most traded stocks in 2020 is tabled below and sort by highest to lowest turnover for the year. The below 50 stocks saw a combined average daily turnover of S$1.2 billion in 2020, which compared to the 50 most traded stocks of 2019 that saw a combined average daily turnover of S$905 million. The 50 stocks below include a trio of Catalist-listed stocks: Medtecs International, Rex International and UG Healthcare.
| 2020 SG Most Traded Stocks | SGX Code |
Market Cap S$m |
4Q20 Total Return |
2020 Total Return |
2020 Volatility |
2020 Average Daily Turnover (S$M) |
2020 Turnover Growth |
2020 Net Institutional Flow (S$M) |
2019 Net Institutional Flow (S$M) |
2020 Net Retail Flow (S$M) |
2019 Net Retail Flow (S$M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBS | D05 | 63,879 | 27% | 2% | 30% | 134 | 34% | -605.8 | -476.9 | 1,026.6 | 194.1 |
| SingTel | Z74 | 37,721 | 11% | -28% | 27% | 83 | 22% | -1,259.6 | 363.2 | 1,342.9 | -615.9 |
| UOB | U11 | 37,789 | 19% | -10% | 27% | 75 | 23% | -1,175.7 | -401.1 | 1,323.2 | 120.6 |
| OCBC Bank | O39 | 45,004 | 19% | -4% | 26% | 66 | 19% | -531.8 | -552.6 | 888.2 | 223.5 |
| Ascendas REIT | A17U | 12,381 | -6% | 6% | 35% | 47 | 35% | 407.6 | -144.2 | 77.6 | 28.4 |
| CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust | C38U | 13,977 | 14% | -8% | 40% | 41 | 61% | -129.3 | -192.3 | 244.4 | 45.8 |
| Wilmar International | F34 | 29,370 | 6% | 17% | 38% | 41 | 104% | -42.1 | 140.6 | 116.1 | -241.5 |
| SGX | S68 | 9,941 | 3% | 8% | 31% | 37 | 60% | 177.7 | 421.0 | -154.2 | -453.2 |
| SIA | C6L | 12,690 | 23% | -33% | 40% | 34 | 207% | -642.6 | -127.1 | 794.6 | 61.6 |
| Mapletree Logistics Trust | M44U | 8,306 | 0% | 20% | 39% | 33 | 79% | 82.0 | 57.0 | -5.8 | -36.8 |
| CapitaLand | C31 | 17,033 | 21% | -9% | 32% | 33 | 28% | -58.7 | 107.2 | 214.2 | -224.4 |
| ComfortDelGro | C52 | 3,618 | 18% | -27% | 37% | 27 | 50% | -336.1 | 23.9 | 399.6 | -70.9 |
| Yangzijiang Shipbuilding | BS6 | 3,681 | -4% | -11% | 32% | 26 | -25% | -172.8 | 5.5 | 194.7 | -13.6 |
| Mapletree Commercial Trust | N2IU | 7,061 | 12% | -8% | 38% | 25 | 6% | -38.1 | 155.3 | 15.3 | 2.8 |
| Mapletree Industrial Trust | ME8U | 6,794 | -9% | 16% | 40% | 24 | 114% | -46.3 | 69.5 | 61.3 | -17.9 |
| Keppel Corp | BN4 | 9,778 | 21% | -19% | 30% | 24 | 11% | -73.1 | -170.1 | 157.2 | 50.9 |
| Jardine Matheson | J36 | 54,418 | 37% | 3% | 38% | 24 | 18% | -2.2 | 18.0 | -7.9 | 13.3 |
| Venture Corp | V03 | 5,632 | 1% | 25% | 33% | 24 | 19% | 168.6 | -47.7 | -117.8 | 4.8 |
| Genting Singapore | G13 | 10,255 | 27% | -5% | 40% | 23 | -7% | 112.4 | -240.1 | -104.1 | 156.9 |
| City Developments | C09 | 7,228 | 5% | -26% | 39% | 21 | 29% | -209.6 | 55.2 | 223.1 | -123.9 |
| ST Engineering | S63 | 11,901 | 10% | 1% | 31% | 20 | 19% | 55.2 | 95.7 | 7.9 | -146.0 |
| Medtecs International | 546 | 549 | -7% | 2628% | 166% | 20 | 58263% | 22.5 | 0.0 | -12.5 | -0.1 |
| SATS | S58 | 4,457 | 41% | -21% | 47% | 20 | 130% | -130.7 | 7.5 | 185.3 | -33.2 |
| AEM | AWX | 949 | -10% | 75% | 60% | 20 | 90% | 16.4 | 53.2 | 23.2 | -66.8 |
| Suntec REIT | T82U | 4,210 | 4% | -15% | 39% | 20 | 19% | -67.8 | -104.3 | 69.7 | 63.3 |
| Thai Beverage | Y92 | 18,460 | 21% | -15% | 37% | 19 | 29% | -137.0 | 141.5 | 112.4 | -187.0 |
| Keppel DC REIT | AJBU | 4,589 | -3% | 38% | 33% | 18 | 103% | 6.0 | 20.3 | 27.8 | -3.5 |
| Jardine Cycle &Carriage | C07 | 7,727 | 9% | -32% | 39% | 15 | 44% | -206.4 | -39.2 | 178.7 | 25.1 |
| SPH | T39 | 1,797 | 10% | -47% | 40% | 15 | 49% | -204.8 | -14.9 | 243.6 | -14.9 |
| Hongkong Land | H78 | 12,735 | 8% | -25% | 31% | 14 | -28% | -129.8 | -138.0 | 97.2 | 96.9 |
| Frasers Logistics & Commercial Trust | BUOU | 4,828 | 4% | 21% | 48% | 14 | 64% | 91.2 | 66.2 | -75.4 | -27.3 |
| Sembcorp Industries | U96 | 3,046 | 28% | 51% | 53% | 13 | 66% | -127.6 | -109.3 | 154.1 | 90.3 |
| Jardine Strategic | J37 | 36,435 | 22% | -19% | 43% | 12 | -1% | -41.8 | 37.1 | 6.1 | -0.8 |
| NetLink NBN Trust | CJLU | 3,761 | 2% | 8% | 24% | 12 | 48% | -42.0 | 17.3 | 64.6 | 24.1 |
| UOL | U14 | 6,507 | 16% | -5% | 28% | 11 | 20% | 43.5 | 63.3 | -9.8 | -117.4 |
| Frasers Centrepoint Trust | J69U | 4,177 | 5% | -9% | 45% | 10 | 63% | -26.9 | 34.1 | 47.3 | -12.3 |
| Riverstone | AP4 | 1,645 | -36% | 143% | 70% | 9 | 5478% | -38.7 | -3.5 | 42.8 | 3.4 |
| Keppel REIT | K71U | 3,817 | 5% | -6% | 36% | 9 | 9% | 19.2 | 56.7 | -8.4 | -42.0 |
| Mapletree North Asia Commercial Trust | RW0U | 3,331 | 7% | -11% | 37% | 9 | -28% | -66.0 | -106.5 | 59.3 | 38.7 |
| Sembcorp Marine | S51 | 1,795 | -2% | -83% | 66% | 9 | 9% | -107.1 | -60.0 | 122.3 | 56.3 |
| Dairy Farm International | D01 | 7,453 | 7% | -25% | 33% | 8 | 26% | -137.9 | -20.8 | 69.1 | 39.9 |
| Ascott Residence Trust | HMN | 3,357 | 21% | -15% | 43% | 8 | 54% | -3.4 | 78.4 | 31.8 | -62.0 |
| Rex International | 5WH | 190 | 4% | -29% | 80% | 7 | 49% | -1.5 | 2.4 | 4.3 | -3.4 |
| CapitaLand Retail China Trust | AU8U | 2,109 | 28% | -7% | 42% | 7 | 114% | -116.1 | 3.7 | 121.5 | 3.2 |
| UMS | 558 | 576 | 11% | 10% | 50% | 7 | 115% | 18.6 | 43.3 | -10.7 | -56.6 |
| Sheng Siong | OV8 | 2,330 | -4% | 29% | 30% | 6 | 289% | -44.2 | 14.6 | 39.4 | -21.4 |
| Top Glove | BVA | 16,045 | -25% | 300% | 81% | 6 | 22673% | -72.3 | 0.9 | 118.7 | 0.6 |
| ESR-REIT | J91U | 1,413 | 5% | -20% | 61% | 5 | 65% | -6.2 | 15.6 | 11.4 | -13.0 |
| UG Healthcare | 8K7 | 361 | -30% | 1157% | 144% | 7 | 58630% | -15.0 | -0.2 | 18.8 | 0.2 |
| Manulife US REIT | BTOU | 1,558 | -3% | -23% | 50% | 5 | 48% | -31.3 | 22.2 | 27.1 | -3.9 |
| Median | 7% | -7% | |||||||||
| Average | 8% | 79% |
Source: SGX StockFacts, Refinitiv and Bloomberg (Data as of 31 December 2020).
